SELECTION OF TEACHERS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8477, 8 May 1893, Page 6

SELECTION OF TEACHERS.

TO THE EDITOR OP TIIK PAE3S. Sru, —I have read with interest) your lealiug article of May 2ud. You have stated very fairly some of the weak points of our system of selecting masters for vacancies in our State schools. VVhile agreeing with you that the recommendations made to the School Committees are not always the best possible selection, still the officers of the Board are not under local influences. Our Committees sometimes contain men who go in for the " interests of the Church " (whatever that may mean),, or some other equally petty or selfish motive ; these men will naturally seek to select a master who will forward their particular interests, and will oppose all others, whatever their qualifications may be. Then again the Board's Selection Committee know more of the suitability of tho applicants for the positions to which they aspire from pa3t experience of the work done under similar conditions.

The School Committee has say thirty applications forwarded to them. ' Each applicant sends in copies of all the favourable reports he has received during his experience as a teacher. There are also testimonials from principals of universities, Chairmen of School Committees, and certificates of all kinds. To wade through such a mas 3 of written matter would take up for more time than is at the comJ maud of Committee men generally. Methods are suggested for reducing the labour. One proposes to expedite matters, "that all classed below, say, D 2 be thrown out." Then ensues a debate as to whether D 2 or D 4 is the higher qualification, and, as there is no authority on the subject at hand, the matter drops, and the next practical suggestion is " that we confine ourselves to the certificates of those gentlemen whjm we have seen, as we, at any rate, know something about them," and in nine cases oat of ten the latter suggestion is carried out, and the man with the highest certificate among those who have canvassed is the ultimate choice of the majority of the Committee. My suggestion is, let the Board select six names u> forward to the Committee, at the same time notify to each of the gentlemen selected that they may visit each member of the School Committee, for there is not the least doubt the Committee men like to see the applicants and talk with them over school matters before making a final choice. ,-A lot of expense and trouble would be saved

the unsuccessful candidates, and the Committee would not be hourly expecting visitors for weeks before the time for selection arrives.—Yours, &c EXPERIENCE.