School Cert, remarks upset Opposition

Press, 30 August 1985, Page 4

School Cert, remarks upset Opposition

Recent announcements about the future of University Entrance and School Certificate made the Ministerial review a farce, said the Opposition spokeswoman for Education, Miss Ruth Richardson, last evening. She said she agreed with the reviews which ask for public opinion on all aspects of schools, including a special committee set up to study at the senior school assessments. Miss Richardson said the committees should be left to do the review without the Minister of Education, Mr Marshall, second-guessing their findings. The Director-

General of Education, Mr Bill Renwick, had also suggested that School Certificate should go at the PostPrimary Teachers’ Association conference. Miss Richardson said she was concerned about staff shortages in secondary schools.

“The promise of the Minister was to staff our schools in a better fashion, yet in practice we are witnessing severe staffing shortages at both the national and regional levels,” she said. Mr Marshall proposed to the Cabinet last week that teachers should receive more pay to teach in South-

land — one of the worst affected areas for staff shortages. That proposal was rejected.

Miss Richardson said pupils would be denied teaching resources as a direct consequence of the Cabinet’s failure to act.

She said she agreed with the findings of an investigating committee which had recommended that teachers receive an incentive of $2600 a year to teach in areas such as Southland instead of the $6OO at present.

“The Minister must move heaven and earth to make sure that there are proper incentives to spread teachers,” she said.