TRAINING COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 137, 7 December 1923, Page 7

TRAINING COLLEGE

YEAR'S WORK CLOSES

CONSIDERABLE ADVANCE MADE

RECORD NUMBER OF STUDENTS.

The year's work at the Wellington Teachers' Training College was officially concluded by a function in the college hall yesterday. Among those on the platform were the Mayor (Mr. E. A. Wright), Mr. T. Foreyth (chairman of the Education Board), Dr. E. Mareden (Assistant Director of Education), Professor Tennant, Mr. F. H. Bakewell (senior inspector of schools), Mr. W. H. Gould (principal of the college), Mr. G. L Stewart (secretary of the Ediica> ton Board) and Sir JoY Luke, M.P. me stall and students we're warmly congratulated by the chairman, Mr. Forsyth on the Work done during the year. The principal stated that the year had been a record oiie from every point the college had shown a further increase, rising from 277 to .294, a growth rendered necessary by the increased demands of education in this country, and the nature and quality of the work, had never been surpassed. It had been a strenuous business, and he thought that he could attribute the marked rise in the standard to the higher status of the students upon entry. There was a tendency to decry the present generation, but he had found a marked improvement ln the calibre of the students. Early in the year the former princi^ pal Mr. Tennant who had done so much to build up the cause of education, had been elevated to a. higher sphere! They felt remarkably proud at this, and were glad not to lose his influence and inspiration To Professor Tennant every student wished a happy time in his Chair of Education. The changes on Professor Tennant's retirement had naturally disorganised the staff, but this had been built up later. The staff, numerically, remarked Mr. Gould was ludicrously inadequate, but no institution in the country liad a more loyal or capable body of workers. The students had co-operated with the staff thoroughly well He wished those who had completed their training the best of good fortune m the teaching world In 1915, Mr. Gould mentioned the ?£? ?M Oi *tudents «ad teen 109, in J ■ I<ronl then on ifc had risen steadily, m 1917 there being 120 studen s in 1918 136, in 1919 155, in 1920- -- V nd m ? 22 *sr v jump to ill. Inis year there were in all 294 students in/attendance. The Mayor made it clear that as the year s work was over he did not intend to give students any further serious instruction, and in a- jocular speech congratulated the college on ma&kning a standard of beauty among the women students fully the equal of the generally high scholastic attainments of the cols°\' ,bufc, expressed some regret that that should be so, since they were bound to marry and- thus take away from the educational system of the country bpeaking more seriously, Mr. "Wright complimented the college on the wSrk done and hoped that.it would continue J.ue teaching profession was an arduous and responsiole one. The average child was more i n the company of its teacher than of its parents, and he knew that the teachers of .the Dominion would tram it in the right way. Sir John Luke remarked upon the large number of young women who. were entering the profession. Ho congratulated -those :young- women on the' standard of work which the women teachers had liept up. The educational system had certainly not deteriorated in any manner since the entry of the womaii teacher Never had there.been such a responsibility cast upon the teaching profession as at present, and it behoved all to do their utmost towards rebuilding the nation and the Empire now it £ strain o f war was over. Dr. E. Minsden congratulated all concerned on the amicable relationship between the college and those outside, liie college was apt to be viewed with suspicion by some inspectors, though not the Wellington ones. (Laughter.) On the subject of grading, he stated that there might be some ambiguity in their grading for the first* couple o f years. It had been realised at the last inspectors conference that merit would have to be recognised; and that able young teachers would have to go ahead, even if it meant pushing them up 20 marks a year They looked to the present young teachers to be heads of schools within ten years, otherwise they would not accept responsible positions until they, were too old to exercise any real influence. *

They had two duties; one to themselves, to improve their own position and make the utmost of their chanoesand, secondly, to the kiddies, to give the present generation a better chlnce in ?,t!. they had. had themselves Its a good thing to be alive this SVt T h ™™Pmy>" Professor W. T. Tennant. as he rose to his *♦ H? J fe, lt that the students goin^ out would keep their optimistic S look and taith in what they CO uld do. They should not be downhearted if their work was their inspiration. Of course a little too often and too vigorously of the nobility of the profession, hut on his experience he was sure that if inspiration Tvero found in their ork, if they realised the boundless possibilities of their classes, and the fact that the future of the profession was in their hands, they could not help but succeed Wt-l »M*°*d»'fc th^o in the spirit Sto 6har theprtseafcteach^st-.Senior-Inspector Bakewell pl ea d ed with the teaching recruits to rely more upon themselves than upon their• mX ods. Though the methods and the^deaa changed there was one thin- which never chawed, and that was "the boy He asked them to give that boy as much as could be given y A number of musical items were gi yen by the choire under Mr. Robert P a ?W Syne, ;a and in cheer, for the^^