Behaviour declaration criticised by students

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33050, 18 October 1972, Page 3

Behaviour declaration criticised by students

A proposal of the Department of Education to ask all future teachers’ college students to sign a declaration of good behaviour on entry to college has been criticised by the Christchurch Teachers* College (secondary division) Student Union.

The declaration asks students to “solemnly declare that upon my entry to teachers’ college I will accept the responsibility for upholding the rules and regulations of the college and also the ethics and dighity of the teaching profession.”

The declaration is the outcome of a conference of teachers’ college principals in Auckland in August. The principal of the Secondary Teachers College in Auckland (Mr O. Gilmore), asked to comment yesterday, said that he was reluctant to discuss the matter, but he agreed that students might be asked to sign such a declaration next year. “I did raise the notion earlier this year that people entering the teaching profession should agree to a code of professional behaviour, and this should be something worked out with the Post Primary Teachers Association,” Mr Gilmore said.

The president of the P.P.T.A. (Mr T. C. Edmonds) said from Wellington that as far as his association was concerned the idea of a “declaration of intention had been suggested once as a possibility. “We have never seen it in writing or discussed it,” he said.

“The P.P.T.A. has a code of ethics, and all members are expected to adhere to this,” Mr Edmonds said. The president of the Christchurch Teachers’ College (secondary division) Student Union (Mr D. Benson-Pope) said his association was astonished at the nature of the proposed declaration. “It calls into question the integrity of teacher-trainees, and seems to imply that they will deliberately set out to break the rules and regulations of the teachers’ ! college.” This year students of both secondary teachers’ colleges had publicly expressed dissatisfaction he said. “One can

only assume that this docu- tions, not primary schools,” ment is intended to stifle Mr Benson-Pope said. their comments on college The president of the stucourses.” dent branch of the Post

The tone of the proposed declaration went completely against the idea that teacher trainees were accepted into teachers’ colleges as “junior colleagues.” “It is a total insult to treat graduates and near graduates in this manner. Teachers’ colleges are tertiary institu-

Primary Teachers’ Association at the Christchurch Teachers’ College (Mr J. W. Chapman) said last evening that he fully endorsed Mr Benson-Pope’s remarks. “The declaration is nothing short of a clumsy attempt to keep student opinion unheard.”