Teacher Campaign Supported

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30886, 20 October 1965, Page 22

Teacher Campaign Supported

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Oct. 19.

The president of the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association, Mr J. R. Caldwell, said today the Minister of Education (Mr Kinsella) had the association’s “sympathy and support” in his efforts to get additional secondary school teachers.

Mr Caldwell was commenting on the announcement by the Minister that the Government had approved the introduction of a new course for training post-primary teachers to be called Division B. The new division B course gathered together several existing non-graduate courses, Mr Caldwell said. Secondary school teachers would see its advantage as an added year of training. Some graduates would re-

suit from this proposal, and they would be most welcome. The remainder would be able to qualify for the diploma of teaching. “There are great problems confronting the Minister in increasing substantially the numbers engaged in secondary teaching,” said Mr Caldwell.

“The academic standard of entrance is. however, of vital concern. Ideally we should be a complete graduate profession, but in these days of desperate teacher shortage temporary expedients must be accepted. “No secondary teachers’ certificate should be awarded to any trainee with a lesser qualification that the diploma of teaching, and my association cannot accept any lower minimum academic standard than this. The pupils must suffer if anything less is allowed,” said Mr Caldwell.