TRAINING OF TEACHERS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25739, 26 February 1949, Page 2

TRAINING OF TEACHERS

SUGGESTIONS MADE BY INSTITUTE

Suggestions for submission to the teacher training consultative committee, were made at a meeting of the North Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute last evening. Mr G. H. Mitchell said the main points for discussion were selection, terms of admission, courses, organisation and control, and the prescription of certificates, and the extension of the training period. Reform in training was linked with the status of teachers so it was important to see that a good case was made, he said.

There should be a probationary period so students could see what lay ahead of them, suggested one teacher. Some students were too young and when asked why they had entered the profession could only answer because there was good pay and good holidays.

, u . rin _P the last few y ear s those who had had experience with former servicemen had noticed that they had a maturity that was lacking in other teachers, said another teacher. He had heard of the intelligence quotients of some entrants to training college, said another, but he did not believe it. If the training college was attracting mentally inferior persons it was because there was little reward for brains.

Mr Mitchell said a training college had to provide too many courses. One member suggested that a university course of core subjects, linked with the training college, would give students an oppqrtunity to find themselves. Another suggested that the subjects taken for a degree would not necessarily make a better teacher. The student should be taught to teach and find hls culture for himself later. ~ rhe former pupil-teacher system was then discussed, some saying that it was not desirable but that the giving of - assistance without giving instruction would be valuable for the student. Others maintained that the pupi> teacher system, modified and properly supervised, was and would be excellent but the period should be one and not two years.

I’he proper arrangement, the committee felt, was to affiliate the training colleges to the University of New Zealand as was done with the agricultural colleges, said Mr Mitchell.