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in Wellington. A remarkably wide range of persons and institutions gave evidence before the Committee. It was the first time for some years that an opportunity had occurred for all educational authorities to express their considered opinions on matters of educational organization and administration, and I am very grateful to them for the very valuable help they gave in the clarifying of the situation. Besides providing in some detail for the unification of controlling authorities under twelve Education Boards, the Bill also made the following proposals : — (a) The establishment of an Advisory Council of Education and of a special Advisory Council of Adult Education (with local Committees). (b) The appointment for each education district of an officer of the Department of Education, to be known as " the Education Officer." (c) The constitution of a special Board of Appeal to hear appeals from teachers against non-appointment. (d) The raising of the school-leaving age to fifteen years. (e) Allowing religious instruction to be given in public schools (for half an hour on two days each week) by approved persons. (/) Removal of restrictions against the employment of married women as teachers. After giving very careful consideration to the evidence placed before it, the Education Committee recommended to the House that the Bill be allowed to proceed without amendment. In view of the rather chaotic state of educational legislation generally, I arranged for it all to be reviewed during the year with the object of bringing down a consolidating measure embodying the provisions of the Bill considered by the Committee. Education Amendment Act, 1938. Id the meantime, when the session was resumed later in the year, the Education Amendment Act, 1938, a shorter measure dealing with immediately urgent matters, was passed. It provided for : — (a) Increasing the grants to Education Boards for general purposes and also the grants for incidental expenses of School Committees. (b) Repealing the provisions as to the contributions by parents towards the salary or board of teachers in Grade 0 schools. (c) Extending the power to make regulations in relation to the appointment of teachers in public schools. (d) Contributions to the Teachers' Superannuation Fund and retiringallowances to be computed on reduced salaries in certain cases where contributors did not elect to contribute on house allowance. (e) Repealing the provisions placing restrictions on the employment of married women as teachers. (/) Establishing the Council of Adult Education. Teachees' Salaries Regulations 1938. The Teachers' Salaries Regulations 1938 (which became operative as from Ist October, 1938) had two major aims—firstly, to raise the salaries in the primaryschool service, and, secondly, to alter the method of computing salaries in such a way as to make it unnecessary for teachers to be constantly changing schools in order to improve salary and status. The teachers affected are those in primary schools, intermediate schools and departments, Native schools, district high schools, training-colleges, and the Department's Correspondence School. Under the new scheme each teacher is paid a basic salary dependent upon years of service, and he may receive, in addition, a position salary which depends upon the post he holds. An allowance as country salary has been provided for assistants in approved country schools with the idea of attracting well-qualified teachers to schools in the isolated districts. I am confident that the new salary scale will make for more stability in the teaching staffs of public schools and will result in a better distribution of teaching skill throughout the country. '""-. ... ."■■'. ''■'..

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