SECONDARY SCHOOLTEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 196, 14 May 1921, Page 8

SECONDARY SCHOOLTEACHERS

SUG GESTT ONS REGARDING THAINING. A discussion took place at yesterday’s conference of secondary school teachers regarding the training of teachers for work in secondary school'. In the course of a report submitted on the subject by a. special committee, it was suggested that as scon as possible, there should bo appointed in each university college a professor of education, who should not be also the principal of the Training College. Approval was expressed of the general character of the training begun at Canterbury College by Professor Shelley, and tho committee specially commended the practical bias given to tho work hv tho professor’s specimen lessons in secondary schools and his lectures Io teachers. It was considered that the Department should be asked to give recognition to the Diploma of Secondary Education proposed to be issued by Canterbury College, and to any similar diploma that may hereafter be established elsewlicre. It was sugeesfed that a suitable year’s course to meet present difficulties would be on some such lines as the following: —(a) One term’s work in tho primary classes in the fraijiimr college; (b) one! term’s observation of the work of skilled ! teachers in secondary schools; (c) one I term's teaching in secondary schools u.i- I der continuous supervision. The com- | mil tee urged that more use should he - made of the system cf “associated” teachers in secondary schools. The com- . mitteo considered that; all first appointments to the staffs of secondary schools should lie probationary for the period | of one year; and that special provision | should 1:e made .for the training of teach- i ers in country schools, secondary as well | as primary.

Motions embodying the opinions of th; committee were adopted by the confer cnee.