TEACHERS AND MILITARY SERVICE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16204, 6 May 1918, Page 5

TEACHERS AND MILITARY SERVICE.

STATEMENT B,Y THE MINISTER. (SPECIAL to "thus tress.") WELLINGTON, May 3. At tho sitting of the Military Service Board to-day, exemption was granted to a teacher in Scots College, on tha application of tho Rev. Dr. Gibb. Referring to the general question of the exemption of teachers, tho Minister of Education mad© a briof statement to-day. He said that ho had received several letters calling upon him as Minister to make application on behalf of teachers in tho State schools. "Tho position is," said Mr Hanan, "thai] neither I nor the Education Department has auv authority to appeal for the exemption of public school teachers. That power is vested in tho Boards. Teachers also havo a personal right to appeal, but they hesita,to to make uso ot it. Several" Boards lutvo declared, that they will not appeal for their teachers. On the other hand, the controlling authorities of denominational private schools are exercising their right to appeal, and some of their teachers aro being exempted by tho Military Service Boards. Certain reforms aro being urged upon us. especially that for the reduction of the 6ize of classes which teachers aro to be asked to control, and theso reforms I should be very glad to carry out, but if it is to be done, an adequate supply of teachers is essential. Tho reduction of the size of classes is mado very difficult by the reduction of tho number of teachers in the service. A trained toachor cannot bo produced in a year or two. The standard of efficiency in the national schools is going to bo considerably affected by tho depletion o? the teaching staffs."

The senior inspector for tho Canterbury education district, Mr W. Brock, in a communication read at Fridays meeting of tho Education Board wrote, respecting school-teachers callcd up' in the latest ballot, recommending tho Board in the best interests of educajjl ' i*° , f or lc ' r exemption. Ho added that if tho teachers called up wcro allowed to go it would causo very great dislocation and would bo very detrimental to the work of tho schools. r*!^ ID T? t° C. H. Opie (chairman ot the Board), the secretary (Mr H. C Lane) stated that as far 'as could bo ascertained from the list as published in tho newspapers, about eight teachers under tho Board had been called up. borne ot these he learned had failed to pass tho medical examination. Mr Lane said that ho did not wMi to net up his opirffcn against Mr Brock's, but ho thought that tho Board would, find mdio difficulty in convincing the Military Scrnco Board that their places n° U w ir 0t "uoted from a Wellington Press Association 'telethat Military Service Board in that city had dismissed appeals lodged by tho Wellington Educatlon, Board. Air John Jamieson mC j' *i : j. lc letter he received and thqt no action ho taken." Mr Jamieson pointed out that th e Board had an uiirescinded resolution on its books as to .talcing no action in reof securing exemptions. Mr Arniitage seconded the motion, which was agreed to. • ' u