PROMOTION OF TEACHERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 305, 18 September 1908, Page 8

PROMOTION OF TEACHERS.

» . ' A NEW SYSTEM , ADVOCATED. tBT TELEGItAPH.—'SPECIAL COItItESrONDFNT.) Auckland, September 17. ' , in .moving for radical reforms in connection with tlie- promotion of teachers, at a meeting of the Education Board, Mr. E. C. Purdie, an ox-inspector,' declared that for many years the teachers of. the Dominion had.been agitating for a different system'of promotion. They were- absolutely dissatisfied right throughout tho'Dominion. No mat- ' ter how long a teacher had been in tho service, or how capable lie was, there was no certainty of promotion, and whenever a vacancy occurred there was a general scramble , for tho position, _ and _ members of the board were brought'into it. Since he had been a ■ member of the. board he _ was surprise!' at the number of letters with which he had been inundated respecting appointments. The teachers felt that if they were to stand a chanco at all they had to bring influenco to bear.. . Such a state of • affairs should not . exist.', The. Inspector-General, in the course of his evidence on the Education Bill, had stated that the difficulties lying in the way of . a'general system'of promotion for the whole of the Dominion were such' that ho could not recommend one. Such being the case, i-he speaker thought : tho board .should at once proceed to adopt the definito! scheme, of.' its own. Having, as it had, one fourth'of the scholars of the Dominion under- its control, one fourth or tbe teachers, and ono fifth of.tho inspectors, it was more favourably situated than any of the other boards.for carrying 'Out reform. The .seven, inspectors under their control could sit-as- a- board, # and supply tho information upon , which promotion should depend. Occasionally it might happen that a teacher, who stood at the he id of the list, might be a . person whom it would be inadvisable to choose, but these cases "uould be vory rare, and tho inspectors would always be able to advise.' Tho board, if it devoted itself to the task, could bring about a system which would give, that, certitude of promotion which would be an act of justico and an ©sample to tho rest of Dominion, and help to bring about a colonial system.