TEACHERS' DEMANDS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 229, 22 June 1920, Page 6

TEACHERS' DEMANDS

CLAIMS LAID BEFORE M.P.'S

ASSISTANCE PROMISED

A very largely-attended meeting of ihe Wellington Educational Institute was hold yesterday to lay the claims of teachers before members •' of Parliament. Messrs. J. P. Luke, K. A. Wright, P. I'raser, and Dr, A. K. Newman were present. An apology was received, from Mr. G. Mitchell, who was out of town. Mr. C. N". llaslam, president of the branch, said that teachers did not only ask benefit for themselves. Many times they had taken action on behalf of town and country children to improvo their working and living conditions. Teachers had suffered 'because an estimate of money value could not be placed upon the educational product. The instituie demanded tho improvement of school buildings, which too often were far from sanitary and healthy. Ample floor space, good lighting, and wisc-ly-choscn sites of sufficient area for playing: spaces wore required. School grounds should not bo shut at half-past three, but should be treated as parks. Parsimony in furniture and apparatus was condemned. The comfort of teacher.? needed to be considered. The Health Department should _ make specific requirements as to sanitation, cleaning, etc, which at present were carried out in a haphazard way. Hostels and teachers' residences, especially the former, wore absolutely essential. Smaller classes were wanted. The targe class was amenable to. discipline of a mechanical sort, but not to education in any sense of the word. The aim of any system should be . socialisation of the young to enable them to take their place in society with true knowledge of Rocial condition's, their duties and privileges. The natural corollary of this was tho need for moro teachers. Hundreds of extra teachers were needed even under the present system. Better teachers n!<so were wanted; one-third of the teachers now were uncertificated. Another demand was for extension of the school age. Even conservative Britain had extended 1 the compulsory age. The present system was breaking down because it was not recognised that tho teacher was the corner-stone of any educational system. Hope niitst bo held forth adequate emolument and god conditions of employment if yonnpr folk were to be attracted. Any entrant to another Government Department could rise to .£320 per annum bv automatic increases, but half of the teachers in tflie Dominion at present had no hope of even reaching this sum. Teachers should 1w rewarded at a sufficient amount for their skifjed service and for tho responsibility undertaken, and should be placed on a level, at 'oas f . with other skilled ir-nfessions. Mr. Poster assured tho M.P.'s present that the motions recently passed in various parts were in no way intended to embarrass tho Minister- or to serve as threats. They pointed rather to the fact that a loyal profession was driven to such motions by something very real. No suggestion of a'.strike was intended, but discontent and unrest were very deep. Never was there a graver need for efficient education than at present. Hence the need for more efficient teachers. Teachers must specialise further and be moro. highly trained. Country children must be. better considered arid given better chances under 'skilled and efficient teachers. The State must enter into competition with commercial and other occupations to attract the young people of the country. He concluded with an appeal for increase in the pension of teachers retired on superannuation.

Dr. Newman pointed out that ,in re; cent years the system had shown , a weakening all round—larger classes, fewer teachers, inadequate playgrounds, bad ventilation, etc. The main question was whether salaries would be increased or not during the coming session. He realised the inadequacy of teachers' pay compared with outside professions.

Mr. R, A. Wright complimented the speakers on the presentation of tho case. What the president said about unsuitable buildings, bad ventilation, smnjl grounds,' etc., was amply borne out. The people of New Zealand must be awakened to these matters. He knew that' teachers had good grounds for the resolutions passed and would do the b'est he could,in the Houso to secure tho reforms desired. He wondered that teachers could be secured for country schools nt all. Some teachers' residences were an absolute disgrace to civilisation.

Mr. Luke said that the people of this country had never felt their tmo responsibility towards teachers. He agreed with Messrs. Newman and Wright as to the need for reform. There was risk of a breakdown in the national 6ystem unless a change wns soon made. He would support the use of tho Town Belt for playgrounds, but not as a sito for schools. Tho Government should not lose a moment in dealing with oducolional reform!

Mr. Eraser hoped for an administrative Council of Education, on which the teachers should he represented. Ho hoped for reform during the session, but the powers of private members w»re vevr smnll if tho Government was unwilling to take action. He was glad tc see that salary waa not all that tho teachers asked [ot. Nevertheless a good salary wnß essential. A hearty vote of thanks to tho M.P.'s was passed by acclamation.