Secondary teachers to hold a congress

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32679, 7 August 1971, Page 18

Secondary teachers to hold a congress

A congress for secondary-school teachers throughout New Zealand will be held at Curious Cove next year between January 22 and

The congress, which is to be similar in form to the University Students’ Association former congress, is being organised by a group of students from the secondary division of the Christchurch Teachers’ College. Some of the topics for discussion at the congress will be social education, school design, and progressive education. Among the speakers

will be Mr W. L. Renwick, the assistant director-general of education; Mr J. Shallcrass, of the University of Victoria; and Mr A. Webster of Massey University. Mr O. Beare, a former teacher at the progressive Summerhill School in England, may be brought to New Zealand to speak at the congress. Mr W. Barton, one of the organisers of the congress, said yesterday: “Those who attend do not necessarily have to represent any region ' or organisation. Anyone is free to attend, and they may bring their families,” said Mr Barton. “We have organised the congress in an attempt to get those people who make the statements and decisions about education to meet and interchange ideas with those teachers and students who have to put them into practice,” he said. Mr Barton said that criticism of the N.Z.U.S.A Congress (which had ended)— that it was just a holiday week for rich students—did

not apply to this congress. “This is the first time a congress for secondary teachers has been held, and we are hoping to make it an annual event,” said Mr Barton.