VISITING TEACHERS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31360, 4 May 1967, Page 10

VISITING TEACHERS

Thirty-four specially-chosen, teachers in various parts of New Zealand are visiting parents whose children are not making satisfactory progress at school. These visiting teachers provide a link between schools and pupils’ parents and are the first persons head teachers can call when a child’s behaviour or progress is persistently unsatisfactory. Most of their work is done in new housing areas and districts that have transient populations. The visiting teachers’ main concern is the welfare of the children. Their success depends largely on teachers’ early recognition of signs of stress in a child and the cooperation of teachers. The visiting teacher is responsible to each teacher for her work with his pupils and assists them only at his request. Some children suffer from constant anxiety and have poor social relationships; others show symptoms of over-tiredness, excitability or delinquency. Children’s irregular attendance at school and failure to make adequate progress can also cause concern. If a child’s absences from school have not been explained satisfactorily, a visiting teacher will, at the head teacher’s request, discuss the matter with one or both parents. Some children’s school work deteriorates because they suffer from chronic tiredness. If there are medical reasons for this, teachers will refer the child to the public health nurse or school medical officer. When fatigue is caused by staying up late watching television or other reasons, such as excessive work after school, visiting teachers urge parents to ensure that their children obtain adequate sleep. They also have discussions with parents of children who play truant. Most parents co-operate

when teachers visit them and many have expressed appre-

ciation for the interest taken 'in their children. Some • mothers have discussed : domestic problems with them. ; Such discussions can help a mother and sometimes, ■ because of the consequent ; improvement in the home : environment, the child’s I behaviour at school has i improved. ’ Though visiting teachers ; usually call on a child’s ! mother, it is sometimes neces- ; sary, especially when the - pupil is a boy, for them to visit the father and ask him i to call at the school. They : urge some fathers to take I more interest in their sons’ 1 activities. Visiting teachers are era- ' ployed by education boards. They usually spend 15 min- ■ utes to an hour with a parent, ■ but one teacher in the WelI lington Education Board area ■ recently had a three-hour dis- • cussion with a pupil’s parents. 1 Children from immigrant : families in which English is not the main language have difficulties in adjusting to life in New Zealand and visiting ■ teachers can help them. 1 The visiting teacher often 1 makes use of other services ! and, after a discussion with a head teacher, may seek ‘ assistance from the child wel- > fare division, a public health J nurse of the psychological - service. Part of the job is to l J help parents to gain an insight into their children's 1 problems and find ways to ! resolve them. ' “I find children with ; behaviour problems the hard- ’ est to help,” a visiting teacher ' said recently. “Their probJ lems can be caused by deep- ; seated emotional difficulties ; resulting from an unsatisfac- ; tory home environment or ’ broken marriage. J “Sometimes, when a child ! is seriously upset, a period , at a health camp can make ! a tremendous difference. This , is the only holiday some children have. ! “Some cases are difficult.

but there are others who responded splendidly.”