Support from institute

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32406, 19 September 1970, Page 1

Support from institute

Support for the national campaign by more than 8000 student teachers against the Government’s teaching bond was given yesterday by the president of the New Zealand Education Institute (Mr H. M. Hunter).

The institute, Mr, Hunter said, was opposed to the bond because it believed that it had hampered efforts to recruit more teachers and to improve their conditions of service.

“Many teachers believe that the bond allows the Government to avoid paying higher salaries in the early years of service,” he said. “On the salaries student teachers earn it would be almost impossible for a young teacher to pay the $6OO that is required to obtain a release from the bond. We have no way of knowing how many young people re-

main unwillingly in teaching because of this. It is highly undesirable for children to be taught by an unwilling dissatisfied teacher. “The institute congratulates Student Teachers’ Association of New Zealand for bringing the matter of the bond before potential recruits and their initiative in suggesting an alternative scheme —the use of incentive payments to- attract and retain teachers. We believe that this is a constructive approach.

“We will be most concerned, however, if the S.T.A.N.Z. campaign affects the number and quality of recruits.”

Mr Hunter said that what could not be measured was the effect the campaign might have in discouraging particularly able school leavers from applying. “The real value of the campaign is its publicising of the fact that the bond can deter some people from becoming teachers. The remedy is not to stop giving publicity but to improve cchditions so that

the bond, which the Minister of Edud&tion himself does not like, becomes unnecessary.”

Mr Hunter said the institute believed that S.T.A.N.Z. had a genuine grievance. “The Government has not yet implemented the modifications recommended by the Public Expenditure Committee last year. The Government has consistently avoided recognising that the bond is a negative approach to teacher recruitment and retention.”

The advice he would give to any person thinking about entering teaching would be to read the Department of Education’s recruitment booklet on teaching and then talk with practising teachers They could tell the prospective student of the frustrations as well as the solid satisfactions.

“I would hope that he would weigh up all the factors, including the bond, before making his decision,” said Mr Hunter.