TEACHERS' TRAINING COLLEGE

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21034, 9 December 1933, Page 24

TEACHERS' TRAINING COLLEGE

BKEAKING-UP CEREMONY A prophecy that the Christchurch Teachers' Training College, which the Education Department has decided to close after this year for an indefinite period, would be open again in 1935 was made by Mr J. G. Poison, principal of the college, at the breakingup ceremony yesterday morning. The ceremony was held in the college gym- , nasium and was attended by about 250 students. Mr W. D. Williams, president of the students' executive, presided, and with him were Mr Poison, Mr F. C. Brew, vice-principal, Mr W. C. Colee, headmaster of the Normal School, and Miss M. Simpson, vicepresident of the executive. Mr Poison said that according to the Education. Department there would be only 115 teachers not actually teaching, and they would be absorbed within two years. It was his opinion that the State had made its calculations on a wrong set of figures, and he was quite sure that the college would be open again in 1935. Speaking of the future of the staff and students, he said some of the teachers had been appointed to lectureships at Canterbury University College, and he would advise tne students to get into personal touch with the secretaries of the Education Boards of their respective districts. • He added that he l.imself was sending a list of his students to the boards, which often took the line of least resistance and gave positions to those sitting on the doorstep. "They do not always take sufficient notice of a teacher's qualifications," he said. Mr Colee also spoke, congratulating the students on the way in which they. , had faced their difficulties. - After the National Anthem had been sung the students held a farewell morning tea on the lawn.