Imminent’ training cuts worry teachers

Press, 28 March 1981, Page 11

Imminent’ training cuts worry teachers

Canterbury's post-primary teachers are concerned that cuts to the region’s in-service teacher-training schemes appear to be imminent at a time when the service should be expanding. The' chairman of the’ Canterbury Post-Primary Teachers’ "Association, Mr F. A. O’Connell, said after a special committee meeting that the expected cuts would probably come within the next month, as the new financial yearstarted on April 1. The Otago and Aorangi regions have had their in-

service training funds cut. There have also been threats that the South Island’s only ■in-service centre, Hogben House, in Christchurch, would be closed soon. Mr O’Connell said that it was a most inopportune time to- make "‘cuts because recent changes in secondary school structures would put more demand on the services. “With so many Roman Catholic schools integrating, they are bringing more teachers into the system who need training, especially as not all of them have had any formal teacher training.”

He said that the increase in teachers needing training and the rapidly rising cost of travel to the "in-service centres pointed to a need to consolidate the service. Furthermore, the training schemes were running only at 80 per cent of the 1979 allocation of funds. Mr O’Connell echoed recent primary teachers’ concern that Government-intro-duced curriculum changes to incorporate instruction in energy education, .health, and careers made it essential to train resource teachers to help local teachers prepare such courses.