HIGHER TEACHING STANDARD URGED

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30961, 18 January 1966, Page 12

HIGHER TEACHING STANDARD URGED

“We have reached the stage ■ now where higher qualifica--1 tions for teachers are a I necessity and no longer a i luxury,” said Mr G. G. Leith. ■ president of the New Zealand . Educational Institute, yesterday. The institute is holding its Dominion executive meeting in Christchurch. Curriculum changes made necessary by scientific and technological advances meant that subjects such as mathematics and science were being studied more deeply, and there was a movement in the primary teaching service to teach those subjects more 1 deeply. This made bigger demands on teachers. It meant that there had to be a lot of inservice Laining courses, and teachers had to be released from the class-room to complete their degrees. Mr Leith said that the Rochester House residential in-service training centre in Christchurch would be a big

step forward in that respect. The Canterbury Education Board was considerably extending local courses held by the senior inspector to strengthen the teaching of those subjects. “A very healthy thing,” he said, “is the board’s effort to bring in country teachers for these courses where possible. We would hope to see this extended as widely as possible.” Mr Leith said the scheme for releasing teachers on full pay for a year to complete university degrees was a competitive one, and not many such bursaries were available. “We would like to see more of them," he said. The institute was looking at ways of making these improvements in qualifications. The executive spent yesterday in discussions with the Director of Primary Education (Mr B. M. Pinder) and the Canterbury District Inspector of Primary Schools (Mr H. W. Findlay). ,