KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29010, 26 September 1959, Page 18

KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS

Qualifications Reaffirmed (New Zealand Press Association) TIMARU, September 25. The principle that school certificate should be the minimum qualification for kindergarten teacher training was unanimously reaffirmed by the 1959 conference of the New Zealand Free Kindergarten Union in Timaru. today. It also agreed that the minimum entrance age be 17 years. Referring to a letter from the Director of Education (Mr C. E. Beeby) asking the union to reaffirm its opinion on the subject, Mr R. A. Dickie, principal of the Auckland Teachers’ College, said teachers had to be well educated and emphasis was on a high standard of qualifications. ‘‘We in New Zealand are not as far advanced as in England in introducing these standards,” said Mr Dickie. ‘‘ln England teachers study over a three-year course of training and in America four years is the minimum.” Another aspect was the very tricky business of selection, said Mr Dickie. In other parts of the world where the standard of entry had been raised there had been no shortage of teachers. “We have not-had the courage to do that,” said Mr Dickie. ‘‘Where the standard is raised there is a more healthy respect for the vocation.” A Christchurch remit—‘‘That in order to overtake the shortage of trained kindergarten teachers, the Minister of Education be asked to make available sufficient grants for the next two years, to allow all applicants with the requisite qualifications to be accepted for training,” was carried. A similar remit from Wellington was also passed.