TEACHERS AND THE WAR.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 217, 15 August 1918, Page 7

TEACHERS AND THE WAR.

EDUCATION BOARD’S DECISION;

TO BE APPEALED FOR.

In connection with the above subject, Mr. G. McKay, at yesterday’s Hawke’s Bay Education Board meeting moved (1) That the standing resolution namely that teachers be appealed for oh their merits —be (rescinded, (2) that in future all teachers be appealed for (3) that Messrs Pearce (Petane) and Neilson (Meeanee) be appealed for. I Correspondence in connection herewith we a received from the two latter school committees asking that their headmasters be appealed for and from the Department to the effect that the Council of Education recommends appealing for teachers ' callfid up. I Mi’. McKay in speaking to the motion pointed , cut that if teachers were appealed tor on their merits, ■ eaeh time a case came up the merits ; would be pulled to pieces. Whether the teacher should go or not, should be decided by the Appeal Board. The reason they should be appealed for is on account of the shortage of ■ teachers. There should be on no account a loss to the children. Each teacher should be appealed for by the Board and the onus then rests wish the Appeal Boa-rd. Mr. Grant in seconding the motion endorsed these remarks, Mr. Oates strenuously opposed the motion, because he considered it contrary to the interests of the community to appeal for anybody. It was essential that all should do their bit in this crisis. The men ■with two children wore npyv going to i the front and soon they would want the men with three children. Tho Board should turn down this step, only one other board bad taken it up. As for the shortage of teachers he considered this due to the low salaries offered. If sufficient pay was offered there would be plenty of application. He would sooner sec Education put aside than appeal for teachers.

The first motion was carried. Speaking to the second one, Mr. McKay, said it. was necessary- to do this in order ♦hat- our children’s | education could be attended to. We i owe a duty .to them and as .yet there was no call upon ns. to make the children suffer sacrifice. It was essential to the Nation’s welfare that the children should be properly educated. Mr. Grant in supporting it said teachers should.have been exempted by the Government right from the start. We have to consider tho future because it is the nation, with the highest, education that will be the most efficient. • ■ . Mr. Thomson also speaking _ in favour, ’ said that up to the end of J 916, GoO male teachers, equal to one third of the. whole male teaching staff had gone to the. front, so, the position must now be infinitely worse. Neglect of- our , education could bring about nothing but a collapse and National ruin there was nothing more important than education. Messrs Bull and Venables in giving their support said without our teaching resources, the endeavour to reform the educational sj stem would be in vain. Very few married men with children would be going to the front. hetore.,next year. The Board was therefore justified in appealing for their teachers. Mr. Soundy who was m strong opposition, .said he did not believe the statement that no German teachers were going to the front. In support thereof. he. produced an American paper which stated that up to 1917, according to the Prussian Education Minister’s- figures close on eleven thousand ter/mers had fallen in this war and their places taken bv women. . Mr. Wildish: You are going to stop the single men of 20 years and have the married men with children i ° The chairman also opposed the I motion. He did not think the posiItion effected so seriously as to necessitate this. He did nut consuler it a good example in the case of growing boys—to know that their teac--1 hers didn’t have to go to the front because they were teachers. After further . discussion the motions were carried.