SMALLER CLASSES

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31784, 14 September 1968, Page 19

SMALLER CLASSES

“The North Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute believes it is imperative that quotas for entry to teachers’ colleges be set at a level that ensures an early reduction of a class in primary schools to a maximum of 35 pupils,” says a statement issued after a meeting this week. “At the same time, buildipg programmes must make certain that sufficient classrooms for this will be ready when they are needed,” the statement said.

The management committee expressed pleasure at favourable recruiting in Canterbury and said this provided the means by which longpromised reductions in class sizes might be instituted. However, the committee expressed fears that, when more teachers were available, there might not be sufficient classrooms and this might be used as a reason for delaying the improvement.

the promotion and protection of professional standards were discussed under such headings as teacher-child relationships, knowledge appropriate to teachers and teaching, problems of large numbers of pupils, the supply of teachers, and the maintenance of professional skills. Members praised recent assistance in the informal rehabilitation of some teachers which, they said, was a step toward the goal of the profession taking over full responsibility for professional conduct Disciplinary proposals which would be necessary were discussed.