HARSH CRITICISM OF TEACHING PROFESSION STRONGLY RESENTED

Evening Star, Issue 26138, 27 June 1947, Page 9

HARSH CRITICISM OF TEACHING PROFESSION STRONGLY RESENTED

With very few exceptions the school teachers of the Dominion were carry- , ing out their, very difficult and some- ' times thankless tasks exceedingly well, | and they should receive bouquets, not bricks, said Mr. A. C. Dumble, the retiring president of the School Committees’ Association of Otago, when referring at the annual meeting last night to recent attacks made in Dunedin on educational trends generally and on teachers particularly. “ These irresponsible attacks should be substantiated, and they arc to be deplored, especially when they are made by responsible citizens, who shouid know better,” Mr Dumble said. “ Perhaps what is wanted by some nelsons is a return of the old parrot-like system of memorisation, and the free use of the strap or rod. I hope that I will never live to see the return of' those bad days. There is no finer body of men and women in the Dominion than our school teachers. Commenting on school swimming facilities, Mr Dumble said that in Otago there were only 21 pools attached to schools. This meant that in the majority of cases only senior pupils had any opportunity of receiving swimming instruction. Mr Dumble urged all committees to work strenuously from now on to have learners' pool's installed at their respective schools. A motion was passed that the association should write to the EducationDepartment and the Minister of Education deploring the unsatisfactory position regarding the supply of infant readers and primary school literature generally, and urging that immediate steps should be taken to effect an improvement. The following office-bearers were elected:—President, Mr J; A. Evans; vice-president, Mr W. G. Leatbley; honorary secretary and treasurer, Mr J. V. Riach; executive—Mrs S. MacArthur, Messrs M. A. Robson, D. W. Fincham, H. Riddle, H. R. Bunn, J. Copland, F. S. Hanger, Is'. D. Anderson, and H. N. Davie; representative to Vocational Guidance Association, Mr M. A. Robson; representatives to the State Primary Schools’ Sports Association, Messrs H. R. Bunn and F S. Hanger.