“Teaching Or Education”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29525, 29 May 1961, Page 3

“Teaching Or Education”

: Sir.—The Governor-General J says that our teachers are too | busy teaching, to educate. Might I suggest that primary school teachers are too busy trying to control large classes to do either? It is good to see the Canterbury School Committees’ Association prodding the Minister of Education on this issue. Is it possible to extract from the Canterbury Education Board the number of teachers struggling manfully to achieve the impossible aim of teaching a class of 50 or more children? What a paradox it is that so many politicians pay lip service to education, while so little money is spent on it. If the present polling day referendum was discontinued and a straight question put to the voters—‘‘Are you in favour of spending more money on education?”—our politicians might be amazed at the size of the affirmative response.— Yours, etc., FABIAN. May 11. 1951. IThe secretary-manager of the Canterbury Education Board (Mr W. P. Spencer) replies: "The end of February, 1961, returns from Grades IV, V. VI and VII schools throughout the board's district show that there were 1209 classes, and of these 323. or 26.7 per cent., had no more than 31 children: 561 Classes <46.4 per jcent.) had between 31 and 40 pupils: 321 classes (26.6 per cent.). ,41 and 50; and four classes (.3 per cent.) had 51 pupils.” These four classes were at new schools, where additional rooms were in the course of construction, and as soon as these were ready for occupation, the classes would automatically be reduced. At no schools lof grades lower than IV (i.e with rolls less than 71) were i any classes above 40 and ! many, of course, would be ; below 30.1