Technical-School Review

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30964, 21 January 1966, Page 1

Technical-School Review

(N Z. Press Association) i WELLINGTON, January 20. A review of service conditions for teachers in technical institutes had been completed, the Minister of Education (Mr Kinsella) said today. The Government had approved a number of amendments to salary scales and conditions of service which, although mostly small, would have a beneficial over-all effect. The changes, which would be incorporated in regulations as soon as possible, included: Relief from departmental duties for deputy principals of the larger institutes; IA staffing adjustment to reduce the teaching load of

I deputy principals in small institutes: More time for supervisory duties for course supervisors; Concessions in staffing for some apprentice classes and for subjects which the Government desired to foster in the national interest; Saturday teaching to be at penal rates against a teacher’s annual quota of teaching hours. NEW SCALES Mr Kinsella said that when the institutes had been set up new salary scales and conditions of service had been established. Most of the conditions had proved satisfactory, but the Government had agreed to a review after a one-year trial period. During 1965 officers of the i Department of Education had

met representatives of the Association of Teachers in Technical Institutes and with the Post-primary Teachers’ Association. “One of the difficulties of any system of technical education is training teachers for a wide diversity of subjects.” Mr Kinsella said. TRAINING SCHEMES “Many have to be recruited directly from industry. The Education Department is planning training schemes for them and hopes to have a pilot scheme this year. “To help the institutes to run their own in-service training schemes in the meantime approval has been given for a staffing allowance in cases where tutors are appointed without previous experience or training. “The effect of this will be that such recruits will be supernumeraries,” Mr Kinsella I said.