TEACHER TRAINING METHODS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 50, 8 December 1948, Page 6

TEACHER TRAINING METHODS

CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE PROPOSED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, December 7. The setting up of a consultative committee on teacher training was announced by the Minister of Education (the Hon. T- H. McCombs), addressing* students at the final assembly to-day at the Wellington Teachers’ Training College. Mr McCombs said the committee would be composed of persons with a knowledge of teaching and teaching conditions and he hoped soon to announce* the names of the members. The committee would be charged with the task of inquiring into teacher training methods, and how they could be improved. He was not satisfied with the present methods, and if anything could be done to make them more attractive, it would be done. Next year students at the college might be able to make some helpful suggestions to the committee.

' Dealing with the shortage of teachers, Mr McCombs said that by 1052 the primary schools would have to cater for 30 per cent, more children than last year. Infant enrolments would be 50 per cent, up on last year. This meant that the numbers of teachers and classrooms at schools would have to be increased by 30 per cent. Two thousand more classrooms would have to be built by Education Boards. In the past the Education Department had reckoned on teaching 65 children for every 100 houses in a district. “Recently we sent officers round 1000 houses in Hutt Valley to see what was coming.. They found there would be 120 to 130 children for every 100 houses,” he said.