Mr Tennent Outlines Offer On Marking

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29854, 21 June 1962, Page 7

Mr Tennent Outlines Offer On Marking

(NJ!. Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 20. Commenting on the latest statement of the Post-Primary Teachers' Association on the subject of school certificate marking, the Minister of Education (Mr Tennent) said today that the facts of the situation were as he had stated them recently except that, only a few days ago, he had told the association that he was prepared to set up a one-man board of inquiry early next year to hear evidence and make recommendations to him.

“I am . astonished.” said Mr Tennent, “that the association's statement deliberately ignores this offer, the only proviso to which was that in the meantime the association should withdraw its recommendation to members not to mark papers this year unless rates were fixed at a point considered equitable by the executive of the association.

"The executive has. in fact, continued persistently to urge its members to stand firm on this matter and has even asked its sister organisation, the New Zealand Educational Institute, representing mainly primary teachers, to support this stand to the extent that its members will not accept appointments as markers.

"It is extremely difficult to understand how the PostPrimary Teachers’ Association can believe that its approach to the problem has been conciliatory and friendly," the Minister said. “There should be no need for me to restate the plain facts of the case, but as it is right they should be kept firmly in mind I give them again in a simple form:

•‘ill School certificate marking rates were raised 25 per cent, last year. This made them higher than university entrance rates. “(2) The annual conference of P.P.T.A. resolved that members should be recommended not to mark in 1962 unless the rates were further raised to the satisfaction of the executive of the association.

••(3) The executive stated a case for an increase of a further 50 per cent.

“(4) I advised the executive that no responsible Government could act under threats that unless it increased rates as requested or agreed to some independent conciliation or arbitration the association would urge its members not to mark. ,

“(5) I offered to have the matter re-examined next year if marking went on as usual and stated only last week that I was ready to appoint a one-man board of inquiry.

“The position then is that the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association has attempted to

dragoon the Government under continued threats of the withdrawing of marking services. The . Government has offered to investigate the position further when these threats are withdrawn.

“The public can judge how far all this justifies the association's complaint of ‘sharp rebuffs and an utterly uncompromising attitude’,” said Mr Tennent.