FUTURE TEACHERS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 17, 22 July 1921, Page 10

FUTURE TEACHERS

THE TRAINING CONSIDERED

PHYSICAL FITNESS ESSENTIAL.

Matters of policy affecting the training colleges were discussed at a conferonce of inspectors, teachers, and • educational officers yesterday. The Director of Education (Mr. J. Caughley) 1 presided. The conference was called by the Minister of Education in order that' he might be advised concerning the standard of efficiency secured by the colleges, which are at present training more' young teachers than at any other period in the history of the Dominion. The Minister stated subsequently that he had asked the conference to consider specially the question of whether or not New Zealand was getting Ihe best value possible for the very large num of money that was being spent on the training of teachers. There were now some 922 trainees in: the colleges, as against about 500 three years ago. It was his duty in these circumstances to see that the country got the best value for its money. The discussion at the conference, continued the Minister, had justified the training colleges and their present course of instruction. Certain, deiiciencies had been pointed out, but these could not all be laid at the door of the training colleges. It had been stated during the discussion that about 20 per cent, of the students were not physically or mentally suitable for the teaching profession. This statement had been acceptud by the experts present, and on that point he felt it his duty to insist that some process of elimination must be devised, so that only the really fit students, should enter the profession. (

Some complaints had been made by headmasters and inspectors regarding the product of the training colleges,. it being suggested that the young teachers had too much theory and not enough practice. The complaint deserved attention, but it had to be remembered that some of the older teachers were rather out of sympathy with modern educational methods. He had heard of an elderly headmaster who remarked to a young and highly-qualified teacher: 'My dear young lady, the first thing you. have got to do in'this school is to forget all, that you have learned in the training college." That, was an extreme case, but it indicated that there was some prejudice to be overcome.

A point emphasised luring the. discussion, added the Minister, was that there should be closer association between-the staffs of the training colleges and N the inspectors, who were largely the arbiters as to the work of the. schools It might be a good thing that the members of the training college staffs should get out into the schools occasionally and that the inspectors should pay more frequent visits to the training colleges They did not get much time for that under present conditions The conference had no ( doubt at all about the importance of insisting that young teachers should be physically qualified, for their work A teacher who lacked physical health and vigor could not be successful