EXCHANGE SYSTEM

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 11, 12 July 1930, Page 10

EXCHANGE SYSTEM

TEACHERS ABROAD

DIRECTOR'S OPINION

HISTORY OF SCHEME

An interesting review of the exchange system between Now Zealand teachers and thoso of other countries, particularly Canada and Great Britain, was given by the Director of Education (M.\ T. B. Strong) to a "Post" reporter today. Mr Strong has been largely -aapcnsib'te for the development of this reciprocal arrangement. for tea-ehers, the benefits and history of which he discusses below.

"So far as Now Zealand ia concerned,' the exchange of teachers system began in 191-1, when three South Canterbury toaehcrs went to" Canada. The arrangements were made by the South Canterbury Education Board, and the Department was merely asked to approve the scheme. For several years subsequently," said Mr. Strong, "the exchange arrangements were left entirely to the individual Education Boards, but in 1920 I was asked by the then Director of Education, Dr. Anderson, to place the scheme on a national basis. The Department then took control of all exchange arrangements, but in every case the concurrence of the Education Board concerned was sought. .Regulations wero passed governing the method'of exchange, and providing, among other things, for the payment of bursaries at the discretion of the Minister, to teachers who made investigations into educational systems abroad, and who furnished valuable reports on their return. At first the exchange tvas a direct one between the New .Zealand teacher and the teacher from abroad —position for position—and un-j der this arrangement there were limit-■ fid opportunities for exchange teachers j «eeing' any but ono school. Further, the teacher who was received on exchange had to bo paid the salary attaching to the position she was placed in. This proved to be unsatisfactory, inasmuch' as the salary scales operating . in. the countries that participated varied very considerably in some instances. For example, New Zealand, teachers received very high salaries when they went to Canada, and Canadian teachers coming to New Zealand could not be paid equal salaries to those they received in their home country. Dissatisfaction therefore arose with this system of payment, and New Zealand was the first country to recommend a system by which each country would continue the salary of its own teacher. This system was accepted at the Imperial Education Conference held in England a few years ago, and has since been adopted by most of the Canadian education authorities. WELL LOOKED ATTER. "So far as Canada is concerned, the Overseas Education League, which bas it's, headquarters in Winnipeg, and wh'itfh is under the management of Major Key, a well-known educationist, has been most helpful in promoting and arranging exchanges between New Zealand and the different Canadian provinces. New Zealand teachers have always been wglcomed in Canada, and have received the most generous hospitality,, not only from Canadian teachers, but from Canadians generally. In 3_gla_d the exchange arrangements are •in:the.hands mainly of the High Com- , missioner, but the Empire League, of ■which Mrs. Ord-Marshall is the secretary, has given generous assistance. The Empire League makes itself responsible for looking after the personal welfare of each exchange teacher, arranges hospitality and organises excursions both to the Continent and to places of interest in Great Britain. WOMEN TEACHERS KEEN. .'"ln general it is the. women teachers who are most eager for exchange," said Mr. Strong. "The Department finds it very difficult to effect exchanges in the case of head teachers. This is probably because most head teachers are married men, 0 their family responsibilities making it difficult for them to go abroad. There is, however, a similar; difficulty, in effectng exchanges on behalf of secondary * and technical school-teachers. This is due to the highly specialised nature of their work; that is, exchanges must be effected between teachers of precisely the same qualifications—a science teacher with a science teacher; a language teacher with a language teacher, and so on. There have, therefore, been comparatively few exchanges between specialist teachers. This, however, does not apply to the teachers of classes of backward children, and New Zealand has benefited greatly from the experience gained by such teachers, both in Canada and Great Britain. DOMINION ARRANGEMENTS. "In Canada the general practice is for the New Zealand exchange teacher to' remain ,in the school in which she "is first placed, and this, of course, limits her experience of educational organisation and method in the sister Dominion.- In England, however, the exchange teachers from abroad are generally put on what is called the 'supply staff,' arid in the capacity of relieving teachers are able to move from school to school. This gives them excellent opportunities to get in contact with- different phases of education, and is consequently much more beneficial to them. In New Zealand the .practice is to place the exchange teacher from abroad in the position vacated by the New Zealand teacher, but as far as possible the: Department endeavours to persuade Education Boards to allow exchange teachers to change their positions. • This is sometimes very difficult to arrange, as boards and school committees are opposed, to teachers transferring from one position to another in the course of the year. However, the Department has succeded in arranging that every exchange- teacher shall be given a fortnight's leave on full pay to visit other educational institutions. A free pass by rail is also provided. AN EXCELLENT SCHEME. 1 am firmly of the opinion that the system- of exchanging teachers between different parts of the Empire is an excellent, one, and deserving of every encouragement, said the Director. There is not the slightest tloubt that the bonds between New Zealand, and particularly Canada and Great Britain have been strengthened by the exchange system. "Contacts have been made and attachments formed that serve to increase the friendly feelings that already exist between different parts'of the Empire. , The ' children in these schools secure first-hand knowledge from theft teachers of countries abroad, and this does much to break down that insularity .that is only too apt to grow up ill an isolated country like ours. The exchange teachers bring back to New Zealand a w,ealth of information not merely regarding matters directly concerning;.their school lessons, but regarding the systems of educational administration in other countries, and the De-, partment. has derived much valuable information from them in this regard. It is now. twenty-three years since an educationist fram the Central 'Department was sent abroad to secure ftrst-hand knowledge of education jystems in. other countries, and tlipj

Department has been glad to make use of the first-hand information secured by these exchange teach-1 era. It is incumbent on all exchange teachers to return to New Zealand for a period of service, and also j to make reports to the Department on what they have seen abroad. The bursaries awarded as mentioned above are j mainly in the nature of prizes for the best reports. A LIMITATION RULE. "So many applications have been received by the various countries from teachers who desire to go on exchange, that it was necessary some years ago to limit tho .number participating. So many desired to go to London that the London County Council was forced to fix more or less definitely tho number of teachers that would be accepted under the scheme. Further, Education Boards in New Zealand dislike too many teachers leaving the schools, as they consider it interferes with the progress of tho pupils. Consequently the Department has limited the number of exchange teachers going to England to six per annum, and to two in-tho case of Canada. The Canadian authorities are. as a matter of fact, disppointed with this arrangement and have been urging New Zealand to increase its quota." Since 1921 approximately 26 teachers have gone from New Zealand on exchange to Canada, the number going to Great Britain being approximately 32. The figures for the Wellington district /from 1923 are: Canada, 5; England, i; Canada and England, 3. There has been very little exchange between New Zealand and South Africa. Only two teachers have gone there, both to Southern Rhodesia. There has also been one exchange to Victoria hi Australia, and within recent years two inspectors have made exchanges, one to Canada, and the other to Great Britain. There is a long waiting list ot teachers wishing for exchanges, which are made for a period of one year exclusive of the time spent on travelling. No teacher may be accepted who is under 25 years of age, or has less than five years' teaching experience; or is over 45 years of age.