APPOINTMENT OF TEACHERS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 140, 13 June 1912, Page 2

APPOINTMENT OF TEACHERS

"Allow me," remarks "Magister" , in a letter to The Post, "to draw attention to one aspect of the appointment of teachers which, so far, appears to have been overlooked. The Wellington Education District xb divided into three wards', City and Suburbs, Wairarapa, j and Manawatu. The numbers of pupils in the schools of these districts, as given for the end of 1911 in the board's 1 report, were: City and Suburbs, 11,439 ; j Wairarapa, 4928; Manawatu, 1722. Each of these districts ia represented on the board by, three members, so it will be seen that the two country districts with a total of 6650 pupils, are vepxesented by tax members, and 11,439 city and suburban pupils by only three members." The correspondent submits that euchi unequal representation of city and country districts may easily lead to injustice by preferential treatment of country applicants for teaching positions. Another correspondent, "Play the Game," writes :■ — "In reply to congratulatory speeches at a reception given to the Right Hon. J. Byrce at the Town Hall to-day you report that, inter alia, he stated that — 'It was only where a wise, honest, and efficient conduct of local affairs existed that wide powors could be entrusted.'', No doubt wide, powers are entrusted to our Education' Boards. .What is the result? All over New Zealand there is the greatest dissatisfaction among the teachers regarding appointments. The general public, the teachers themselves, and in fact all concerned would like to know how these appointments aro made." The 1 writer complains that the Wellington Education Board has been one of the offenders. He states a case (the filling of an important position) in which, ho declares, the man finally appointed was the junior of all the first assistants of the large schools of the district. When making the appointment tho board liad four names, selected from all the applications. "Did the inspectors," aska the correspondent, "report that the man finally chosen was a better teacher than any of his seniors holding similar positions? I think not. Again, were the other three names put on that list of teachers who had been most successful in the smaller schools? Again, I beg to suggest that they wero not."