Teachers’ Reply To Magistrate

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30540, 8 September 1964, Page 16

Teachers’ Reply To Magistrate

A magistrate's comment that difficulties between teachers and pupils may arise in mixed schools has draw n an editorial reply in the journal of the New Zealand Post-primary Teachers’ Association. The article says:—

“In a recent widely-publi-cised court case, where a teacher was convicted of offences against a female pupil, the Magistrate is reported to have made the comment That the real difficulty was in having mixed schools.’ As magistrates hold responsible positions and as they are trained to sift and weigh evidence, the public is inclined to take notice of what they say and to regard it as having some solid basis in fact. It is therefore particularly distressing to teachers —the very great majority of whom teach in mixed schools —that such an unsubstantiated statement was made even if it was not intended to be taken seriously.

“Although it is unfortunate that such offences occur, it would be blindness to believe that they will never do so. However, the suggestion that they happen because of mixed schools is irresponsible, especially when there are plenty of other oppor-

tunities for the weak or foolish to get themselves into such situations In this particular case, for instance, the two concerned both worked in the same place after school hours. Indeed, the magistrate might just as well have said that the real trouble was in having mixed work-places—or different sexes.

“And it would be pertinent to ask what his view would be of the difficulty facing men teachers in single-sex girls’ schools. Perhaps he has not realised that pursuit of this line of thought leads to the conclusion that the way to combat male homosexuality is to abolish single-sex boys’ schools and on to the final absurdity that children should not go to school at all. “It may be, of course, that the Magistrate had some concrete evidence for his assertion and if so he should produce it as having public importance. Expert opinion, however, always stresses that there are no single causes in these matters and that any particular incident arises out of complex circumstances and has no general significance. Certainly, there was no justification for the remark the 'Magistrate made on this occasion and he should know i that it has caused great indignation in the teaching seri vice.”