TEACHERS' GRADING SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2836, 29 July 1916, Page 5

TEACHERS' GRADING SCHEME

MINISTERS REPLY TO CRITICISMS. Asked by a. Dominion reporter whether lie had any reply to make to,the oriticisins that woro levelled against, the recently-issued classification list of loaphers under tho Dominion grading scherac, the Minister of Education (Hon. •!. A. Hanan) said that his belief in the soundness of tho scheme itself and in the results of its application had not been shaken. An oxaniination liad already been mado by the Department. of somo of the formulated objections to the schemc, and so far in every raso tho objections had utterly broken down on an appeal to facts, flo had also been advised that ono large body of teachcrs who had quite a. formidable array of objections and criticisms found tliat when these had been reviewed! and analysed in thoir presence by ati officer of tho Department, there was very little left of the objections raised. He was informed that this -was freely admitted by a largo number of the teachers referred to. Questioned concerning Hie list of published resolutions passed by . the Otago teachers, the Minister stated that when theso reached him officially thev would bo fully gono into. In the meantime he wished to state tint all critics of the scheme would need to bo very i careful to produce evidence in support of their statements, some of which were extremely weak, and were evidently based on hasty inference.". Mr. Hanan declared, that in Ms opinion tho Dominion grading scheme, apart from some of the inevitable minor defects in such an undertaking, had ' graded at tho least over 90 per cent, of the certificated teachers correctly, to the extent that any more correct discrimination would bo difficult to make. This, he considered, was a wonderful result for a first grading. Further, ho was convinced that the scheino, apart from minor defects, was in an unasailable position both as regards its principles and its operation. Probably no greater blunders have been made by critics than in their attempts to show that widely different standards of markiug had been followed in different districts. The Minister intiniated tlwi a report, accompanied by comparative tables and graphs, -which was now in.tho press, would amply justify his confidence in the scheme, and that ho had also arranged for the Assistant Director of Education, who Would soon bo -visiting various centres in New Zealand, to take the opportunity of meeting teachers and educational authorities in order' to present the grading scheme in its true bearings. Regarding tho requests that were being made for an extension of tho time for lodging appeals, Mr. Hanan said that lists had been distributed in time to enable every teacher to carefully peruse sAme and forward their appeals to the Department by July 81. This was borne out by the fact that several notices of appeal "dated July 17 had already been received from refaote districts in various parts of the Dominion. He did not, therefore, consider it necessary to extend the time.