Four-term year unlikely, says teachers’ president

Press, 12 June 1986, Page 9

Four-term year unlikely, says teachers’ president

A four-term school year is unlikely to be introduced in the next two years, says the president of the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association, Mr Peter Allen. Mr Allen and the association’s women’s officer, Ms Helen Watson, are in Canterbury for three days to visit the region’s schools. Mr Allen said it was possible that a four-term year could be introduced in 1987 but he was not optimistic. The issue would have to be resolved by the end of this year for that to happen. The P.P.T.A. was not opposed to a four-term year but it wanted to be

satisfied it was introduced properly. The association

be a review at the end of it,” he said. An alternative suggestion that a trial be made on a regional basis was neither strongly opposed nor supported. Mr Allen said it was not correct to say that the P.P.T.A. opposed the introduction of the fourterm year because it would mean teachers had surveyed members about this four years ago, he said. “The members would not support the option of a four-term year unless there was a trial, it was done on a national basis, and there was some sort of undertaking that there

would have to rearrange their holidays or would have to teach for a longer time each year. “Personally, I have no firm views for or against, and I believe the same could be said for many secondary teachers,” he said. However, the P.P.T.A. wanted to make sure that the change was introduced for the right reasons. Mr Allen said P.P.T.A. representatives would meet the Minister of Education, Mr Marshall, on June 19 to discuss a proposal for the introduction of a four-term year.