"COME TO STAY"

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 81, 3 October 1923, Page 6

"COME TO STAY"

SUCCESS OF TEACHERS' GRADING SYSTEM

TESTIMONY OF SENIOR IN-

SPECTORS.

The conference of senior inspectors of schools of the Dominion was resumed this morning, and the whole of the forenoon was taken up in a discussion in reference to the grading system.

The Minister of Education (the Hon. C. J. Parr) ; who is presiding at the conference, informed a "Post" reporter that in opening the discussion he desired the inspectors to tell him frankly whether the grading system was working satisfactorily,- whether the. general body of teachers in each educational district was content; and, further, to indicate, if there were weaknesses, the appropriate remedies. "There was," remarked the Minister, "a consesus of opinion among the inspectors that the grading system is working out very satisfactorily. The large majority of teachers are content with the present method of appointment, which is based upon the grading Bystem. The inspectors were unanimous that the teachers in nearly all the districts would on no account go back to the previous system of appointment, notwithstanding ™JS,u defects in the grading system. The question of attaining more complete uniformity of appraisement as between the different districts was fully discussed by the conference, several of the senionr inspectors making su"cestions. The Minister's proposal that senior inspectors should exchange for a brief period, and so be in a position'to compare typical cases of teachers on the grading list, was generally approved of; as was also the suggestion that the Chief Inspector should visit the various districts and help in the co-ordination of the inspectorial grading. "The present provision under which the boards and the senior inspectors may depart from the strict grading list, should they be of opinion that the highest applicant is not-suitable for the position, was discussed at some length This provision, in the opinion of the senior inspectors, was on the whole working satisfactorily, as it gave'the senior inspector and the board an opportunity, of preventing what sometimes might be deemed an injustice to a school or to tne_ children. Sometimes special qualifications were required for a special post and it was well, therefore, to have a discretionary power, although ,on the whole, the inspectors strongly believed m the grading system being as rigidly followed as possible as the basis of promotion. The exchange of inspectors on the border line of the various districts was suggested by the Chief Inspector as a factor towards obtaining uniformity. "The notable point about the discussion," said the Minister, "was the complete unanimity that the [Trading system has come to stay; that notwithstanding the difficulties in the way it has achieved a remarkable success' in opening up Dominion promotion to capable teachers, and that its admitted defects can in the main be put right. That was the significant note of the conference."