Teachers’ Training Colleges

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 70, 15 December 1932, Page 11

Teachers’ Training Colleges

Sir.—Mav 1 take Thursday’s discussion in the House of Representatives and your editorial note of Friday, as an excuse for broaching once more the question of the closing of the training colleges at Wellington and Dunedin? Though the ground has already been thoroughly covered by tbe interested parties in the last few months. I notice that few letters have appeared in your columns on this important subject. For it is an important question, though I fear that many people not directly concerned with education fail to realise this fact. Many 'otherwise wellinformed people—some teachers included —seem to regard the two years spent in tbe training colleges as two years wellnigh wasted, I am ready to admit that the training colleges have their faults, but the course is. both professionally and personally, an important period in the .young teacher’s life, and I should like to point out one or two factors that enhance their value. In the first place much of the value of a teacher's student days is social, cultural, and psychological. In each of the four centres a succession or capable men have realised this, a succession of enthusiastic students have proved the worth of their training period, and thus there have grown up in these centres four institutions as fine in their way as any in the country—four institutions with a history, ideals, aud traditions of .their own. And it is these ideals and traditions that are handed ou to the students who pass through these four colleges, as the most valuable gift these institutions can bestow. New. sir. two of these four colleges have been closed. This means that the. cumulative effect of half a century of high endeavour on the part of some of the ablest men tbe teaching profession in New Zealand has seen, bus been cast, to the winds on the plea of a doubtful, saving of a few thousand pounds, which it has been proved can just as easily be saved by other means. Splendid staffs are being ruthlessly dispersed (not merely judiciously reduced) : the walls that for so many years have thrilled to the eager efforts of the young manhood and womanhood of New Zealand are to be allowed to fall into decay, or are to be made over to the despoiler. ... c Particularly sad is this iu tbo case of Dunedin Training College—the oldest, the proudest, and therefore along cultural lines the best and most valuable, of the four colleges. Is it any wonder that the descendants of those worthy Scottish pioneers who founded this college, fostered it and eheristed it. should be ready now to support it of their own free will. But even this privilege is denied them; for did not their own beloved college many years ago sign away its own soul when it accepted a full measure of Government support, only to find to-day the.value of that help in time of true adversity t Ami now to be plainly practical. How can economy be effected, while at the same time the value of these old institutions is preserved? Tbe answer is obviously that given by the Education Committee in its report to the House, of Representatives: Merge these, institutions into an even older institution, viz., the University of New Zealand, while still allowing them to retain their individuality as separate entities within tbe larger whole: also allow some measure of specialisation ns a means of obviating unnecessary duplication of staffs. this is economv achieved, and not at the cost of tbe traditions of two fine institutions. — 1 gin, etc.. vox EX texebris Napier, December I fl -