Teacher From Ethiopia Studying N.Z. System

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29894, 7 August 1962, Page 9

Teacher From Ethiopia Studying N.Z. System

New Zealand’s education system could gain a few points from that of Ethiopia, it was learned in an interview with Mr T. Redda. viceprincipal of the Haile Selassi I Day School in Addis Ababa, in Christchurch yesterday. ' Mr Redda has been in New Zealand since March, travelling under a UNESCO fellowship, and studying the organisation of the education system.

In Ethiopia, school inspectors “go back to school” for a year before taking up their appointments, according to Mr Redda. They undergo a oneyear “inspector - director" course to prepare them for their duties (A director is the Ethiopian term for a school principal.) “The idea is that an inspector must know a director's problems, and the director must know what the inspector expects.” said Mr Redda A somewhat similar idea “leadership training programmes.” for superintendents and principals, is common in the United States. Ethiopia is also ahead of New Zealand educationally in another respect—specialist teachers there are drawn from the ranks of qualified and experienced teachers, instead of taking their specialist training in their initial student days, without classroom teaching experience The former system has only just been recommended in New Zealand by the Commission on Education, in its recent report.. Mr Redda’s own school is a big one, a roll of 3300 It teaches primary and secondary pupils, trains student teachers, runs “inspectordirector” courses, and conducts evening adult education classes. Mr Redda said that, in the main, the education system in New Zealand was similar to that in Ethiopia. He described New Zealand’s standard of education as high, and said that the standard in his own country was comparable with New Zealand's

English was a cpmpulsofy subject in Ethiopian schools, and a medium of instruction, he said.

Mr Redda himself speaks good English, and said he had been taught in English since his primary schooling days He is also a Christian, and a member of the Presbyterian Church, whose services he has attended while in New Zealand

Had any points in New Zealand’s education system impressed Mr Redda? The New Zealand system of organising teachers had interested him. he said teachers who travelled round solecharge and two - teacher schools giving teachers help Mr Redda has so far visited Wellington. Inverc a.r g i 11. Dunedin, and Blenheim, before coming to Christchurch and will go on to Auckland He is investigating many aspects of New Zealand edu-

cation —teacher training, inspection of teachers, primary schooling and its teaching methods. rural education, multiple-class teaching (in which he is particularly interested), education of handicapped, deaf, and blind children, hospital class teaching, radio broadcasting to schools, and kindergartens Mr Redda will spend another week or two in Christchurch before moving on.

Yesterday, he visited the Christchurch Teachers' College, arid examined its work, in company with the principal (Mr G. Guy). His programme in Christchurch will also include a visit to Lincoln College, to see aspects of rural education, and visits to specialist teaching agencies—a speech clinic, the School for the Deaf, kindergartens. the Occupational Centre, the Cerebral Palsy School, the Child Welfare Department, etc. Mr Redda expects to be in New Zealand until the end of the year.