19

E.—2

realized. From recent reports it appears the increased payments provided for entrants to the profession have resulted in a greatly increased number of candidates with very good entrance qualifications seeking to join the service, so that promise of improvement in this direction is now beginning to appear. 'In England 92 per cent, of the male teachers and 86 per cent, of the female teachers are certificated. The following figures show the number of teachers in the Dominion holding the various certificates in 1917 and 1918 :—

Classes of Certificates held by Primary-school Teachers.

Grading of Teachers. During the year under review several useful amendments of the grading regulations were made, and the usual revision by the grading officers of the classification of the certificated teachers of the Dominion was carried out. It is gratifying to be able to state that, with the exception of one district, the teachers of the Dominion are now placed on the grading-list in positions corresponding as closely as can reasonably be expected to their general qualifications as teachers. It was not very difficult to secure such, a classification of the teachers within any one district, since the Inspectors, acting as grading officers, were thoroughly acquainted with the relative merits of the teachers in. their district. It was a more difficult matter to secure a reasonable uniformity in the standard of marking between the various districts, and it was to this end that the efforts of the Department were chiefly directed. After the first grading in 1916 statistics were prepared and full information was placed before the Inspectors in each district showing the relative standards of grading that had resulted. Guided by this information. Inspectors were able in the second, year of the grading to secure a uniformity of standard of marking between all the districts except Auckland, whose standard of marking was more favourable to the teachers in that district. In 1918 the relation between the grading of the various districts was still further improved, with the exception of Auckland, whose advantage over the other districts was increased. Information showing the extent of this advantage was supplied to the grading officers concerned, and a partial, though not a complete, adjustment was made. It was .against this adjustment that numerous appeals were lodged in the Auckland District in connection with which some of the appellants subsequently secured a mandamus to compel the restoration of the previous standard of marking. In the grading for this year the standard of marking in the various districts, with the exception of Auckland, shows only such minor natural variations as might readily be explainable from the varying conditions of the different districts. Unfortunately, the considerable advantage hitherto held by the Auckland teachers has been still further increased, and special measures will need to be taken so that, in justice to the teachers in the remainder of New Zealand, a more reasonable approach to uniformity, though not the establishment of a rigid uniformity, may be established. When this is done the grading-list could confidently be used as a far better basis 'for the appointment and promotion of teachers not only in one district, but between all districts, than has hitherto been available.

Class of Certificate. M. 1917. F. 1917. I Total. 1918. M. F. Total. - A B G I) E 24 176 505 361 51 6 76 768 1,093 263 30 252 1,273 1,454 314 30 178 504 360 44 7 68 841 1,146 248 37 246 1,345 1,506 292 Total 1 1,117 1,117 2,206 2,206 3,323 3,323 1,116 2,310 3,426 I