TRAINING OF TEACHERS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 302, 9 December 1922, Page 2

TRAINING OF TEACHERS.

SMALLER CLASSES IN SCHOOLS.

HOPES OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

Addressing the student teachers of the Kelburn Trailing College at the annual “breaking-up” function on Thursday, the Director of Education (Mr J. Caughlcy) said he did not anticipate any difficulty in placing all the students who were going out from the four training colleges this year. The number of students leaving the training colleges was considerably huger than in previous years, but the Education Department appreciated this fact, as it would enable the size of classes to be reduced to the better standard of sixty or less pupils. He hoped that by the beginning of J 924 none of the classes in the public schools would contain more than that number. (Applause). Until that was achieved the Department looked for some assistance from the young teachers, in accepting for a year or two appointments to schools in localities in which they might not like to be sent if they had an option. He pointed out that they enjoyed unusual privileges in New Zealand which wore not given to student teachers in other countries, and referred particularly 1o the allowance made for payment of expenses. He appealed to them to show’ a little of the mission spirit until the Department had achieved its object. In conclusion, Mr Caughley reminded them that the personality of a teacher had a groat deal to do with the education of the young, mid remarked that in that respect the Department wished to see the teachers sot a very high standard indeed.

The Principal of the college (Professor J. S. Tennant) referred to the frequent allusions made to the tremendous expenditure on education. He thought the fact was very often overlooked that values were relative, and that while there were increases in expenditure in some directions, there w’aa a general tendency towards a decrease proportionally. “Y T ou are told,” he said, “that you are treated better than other students. While that may be so, I must say that the training colleges are certainly not treated better than ( those in any country in the world.” The college, he went on, had been in existence for sixteen years, and the thousandth student teacher was leaving that day. The occasion was therefore a very important one. Each of those teachers was responsible for the instruction of forty or fifty pupils, so that the college had now’ in effect provided one-fourth of the teachers of the Dominion. Referring to the opportunity now offered for teachers to take the educational degree at the University, he expressed the hope that a large number of the rising students would be ambitious enough to desire to improve their professional standing through that channel.