Teachers in Training

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 89, 31 March 1926, Page 5

Teachers in Training

AN IMPORTANT CHANGE. PRIMARY SCHOOL’S PLACE. Highly important changes are contained in the new policy for the training of teachers which is announced by the Education Department. In the first place, the prevailing system is abolished under which a primary school teacher underwent two years probation, followed by two years in the training college before taking a certificate. In place of this, the teacher will, in future, begin and end the training period in the primary school, the college training coming in the middle of the training course. That is to say, the probationer will now put in one year in the primary school as a beginning, followed by "two years (if necessary) in the training college. He (ot she) win then go back to the primary school and finish training under the supervision of th e headmaster, after which certification is due to -follow. During this last period, the teacher will be known as a ‘ ‘ probationary assistant. ‘' EXIT THE “P.T.” In exceptionally progressive cases, the intermediate period of two years m the. college may be reduced to one, and the probationer now thus becomes probationary assistant in his third year, instead of his fourth year. In that case he may becomes a certificated teacher on completing three years from his entry as a probationer. The term ‘ ‘ probationary assistant ’ ’ is a new one in the Department’s classification. On the other hand, the old-time term “pupil-teacher” may be now regarded as finally eliminated. Although the young teacher will m future have only one year of probation (instead of two as hitherto) to qualify for admission to the training college, it is considered that this change will not act detrimentally, because thestandard of admittance of probationer* having been raised about a year ago, rt is thought that it is now high enough to permit a shorter period of preliminary training before entering the college. Though, in exceptional cases, a probationer, as already said, may get through the course in three years, it is nevertheless expected that the average time will be four years, as heretofore. When the probationer leaves the college and becomes a probationary assistant in a primary school, the head teacher of such primary school will become responsible for probationary assistant’s further training teaching and class-management, and must report to th e Board of Education at tne end of each quarter (and oftener if occasion requires), on the probationary assistant’s “conduct, diligence, and progress in the art of teaching.” It is also provided that “a probationary assistant who has fulfilled all the requirements for the issue of a teacher’s certificate may. on the completion of his service as a probationary assistant, receive a trained teacher’s certificate if recommended therefor by the senior inspector/’ WHEN TRAINING ENDS. If a probationary assistant fails to obtain a satisfactory report from either the head teacher or the inspector th© Board of after consultation with the Director of Education, terminate such probationary assistant’s engagement on one month s notice. As a general practice, the term of service of a pi’obatlonai'v assistant shall end on January 31, following the date on which he commenced duty as a probationary assistant, but his term of service may, with the approval of the Director of Education, be extended for an additional year. Except with the director’s approval, a probationary assistant shall not be eligible for appointment to any position in the education service until he has completed his course of training as a probationary assistant. Under the new system the allowances payable to probationers will be the same as hitherto—£80 per annum, with an extra £5 for a male, and with a boarding allowance of £3O where obliged to live awav from home.