SECONDARY TEACHERS

Evening Post, Issue 13, 16 January 1936, Page 9

SECONDARY TEACHERS

NEED FOR TRAINING

(Special to the "Evening Post:") . AUCKLAND; This": Day. No system of education could b« effectively worked unless it had a full supply of properly-equipped teachers, as the teacher was the vital and all important ■ factor in education, remarked the Hon. J. A. Hanan, Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, during- the course of his address to today's annual meeting of the University Senate. "All the. knowledge of the sages," he went on to say, "will not prevent one from being an inefficient teacher. The mere fact of having studied and passed in a number of subjects does not make a man or woman a competent teacher of these subjects, However much we may improve'our education, syllabus, administration, school buildings/playgrounds, and equipment, we shall sucdeed only to the extent that we have an adequate supply of teachers of. the highest type, well equipped by and training. ,It cannot,be denied that some teachers come,' into,,high school! without technical training in- teaching. The task of introducing-pupils for tha first time do' new Hnes> of thought and responses calls- for ■ thoroughly trained and efficient teachers, especially'in tha lower: forms or grades of secondary, schools. Whatever may be put up with in the way.;' of inefficient craftsman* ship, we ought to recognise and insist on the right of our young people to b« taught by ;properly drained teachers. It should be obvious that if a long course of training'be demanded for primary school -workman equally thorough preparation fof i their .'responsible duties should be. 'given 'to our t i utura secondary teachers, injustice, to. them* • selves and their pupils.'. In.. Victoria secondary training .has1 been done under the University of : Melbourne for about 25 years and from inquiries which I haye1 made the-system, which is compulsory, works well."