TEACHERS’ TRAINING

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 June 1927, Page 10

TEACHERS’ TRAINING

NEW SCHEME OPPOSED (Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, June 13. At a special meeting, the Otago Education Board gave final consideration to the new scheme proposed by the Education Department to assist young persons to secure training as teachers, and came to the following conclusions:— (1) In the absence of information upon material points, the Board ca,nnot endorse the scheme. Definite information should be furnished in regard to (a) the present loss incurred through non-fulfilment or non-enforce-ment of the bond; (b) the possible saving under proposed scheme; (c) the method of securing the repayment of the loan in the event of a student defaulting. (2) The Board is of opinion that the scheme would involve certain risks, such as (a) the placing of obstacles in the way of getting the best boys and girls to enter the profession: (b) differentiation in salary between those who receive loans and those who do not, may lead to difficulties; (c) the difficulty in providing immediate work for all students upon the completion of their probationary assistantships, and any agreement entered into for repayment should necessarily entail responsibility upon the Department of providing the means of repaying. (3) The Board emphatically holds that the scheme should not apply to probationers already in service. These young people entered under existing conditions, and to depart from those conditions would be a distinct breach of contract. ’ (4) The Board views with disfavour the element of class distinction which is introduced by reason of the fact that some students will require to take a loan and some will not. A reply embodying the Board’s conclusions has been forwarded to the Department of Education.