Teachers’ colleges might close

Press, 12 November 1981, Page 1

Teachers’ colleges might close

Some of New Zealand's teachers’ colleges would close if “savage” trainee quota cuts persisted, said the principal of the Christchurch Teachers’ College, Dr J. F. Mann, yesterday. In his report to the College Council, Dr Mann said a national intake of about 1600 trainees meant there was “little need” for seven teachers’ colleges. “About two colleges could do the job,” he said. There was certainly no need for ,the training outposts in small centres such as Invercargill. “Unless there were extremely generous levels of

staffing, the small colleges we are heading for of under 400 would hardly be viable,” said Dr Mann. It was hard to believe teacher supply would meet the demand in 1984 and 1985 if the new quotas persisted. “I am given to understand that this is not just a temporary measure but one that will continue for a number of years,” he said. “The bottom of the trough will be 1985.” Dr Mann intends calling a national meeting of teachers’ college groups to, “bring about some rational response to what is a national emergency.”

It would be unfortunate, he said, if the individual colleges were left to their own devices. The cuts had “drastic implications” for staffing, the nature and quality of courses, and the use of buildings at teachers’ colleges. The size of grants for equipment, the library, and administrative staff would probably be reviewed, he said. The council needed to take every measure to safeguard the interests of the staff. The council voted to set up a committee comprising four council members, the principal, and other staff members

to consider the colleges’ future. The principal and senior registry staff would be asked to survey staffing needs and priorities in case there was a need for reductions in the future. If required, the committee would consider how to reduce staffing. Methods considered would be retraining, redeployment, and redundancy. Next year’s primary teacher trainee intake at the college has been cut from 220 to about 90. The secondary intake is likely to be down from 540 to about 450.

Four one-year courses for secondary trainees have been abolished altogether. Mrs N. J. Johnson said the timing of the announcement of the cuts was “ridiculous.” It was made on the day the Canterbury Education Board finished interviewing trainee applicants. The board had interviewed 650 applicants, Mrs Johnson said, then found there were only 80 positions. She was most concerned that the board had still not been able to tell the applicants who would be accepted. “I am just appalled to think we are in a position

where we cannot notify people definitely,” she said. Professor W. C. Clark said the quota cuts were another example of “the Minister's intelligent forward planning,” In 1980 the Minister of Education (Mr Wellington) had extended the recruitment period to get a record number of trainees so that he could use the figure politically, he said. "We were taking everybody who could sign their names on the bottom of a piece of paper.” Yet only one year later the Minister announced huge quota cuts, he said.