"A TEACHER'S GRIEVANCE"

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 142, 18 June 1913, Page 6

"A TEACHER'S GRIEVANCE"

[to the editor.]

Sir,—l read with some surprise | your sub-leader on the above subject. I As a member of this School Commit- . tee, and chairman for some 18 or 20 years, I have always considered and pointed out that it was the duty of ! the Committee to study the interests ' of the school and scholars first, and ' the teachers second. You apparently advocate the opposite policy. In ap~ Sointing a teacher, it is surely the uty of the Committee to recommend the appointment of the applicant with the highest grade certificate, especially when the application is backed up by the inspector's report of the school districts in which, he or she may have served. If a man has the ability and 1 energy to work himself up to the j B.A. degree, it would surely be poor j justice to turn him down and appoint a local man with a C or D certificate, j In recommending the appointment of j teachers, we do not study whether they are' local or outsiders. W© have I had four good ones—two local, and two outsiders, if such a term can ap- , ply to anyone in New Zealand. One local man and one outsider worked themselves up, and. obtained better schools in. the North Island; but if the ridiculous rule advocated by ' 'Qb- j server" in the same issue appliedl to all districts, these good men would not now be in the good positions they . occupy, and I see no reason why the aggrieved teacher should not follow their lead. The lower rungs of the ladder are always crowded; but there is always room at the top. The cry of "sour grapes" is amusing coming from a fox; but coming from a man is likely to have the opposite effect. ; ALF. G. MILLS. S

Renwick, June 16. [Our correspondent has doubtless heard more than once the saying, "Support local industry." Teachers, as well as people earning their daily bread in other walks of life, are surely entitled to this consideration ? To assert, as our correspondent does, that we desire the teachers to be considered before th© children is, of course, absurd. If the .outside applicant has qualifications undoubtedly superior to those of any of the local candidates, nothing can be said against the former's' appointment; but School Committees are often led astray by mere academic considerations, and fail to pay due attention to the prime factor in a teacher's qualification, namely, teaching ability. Just because a teacher is a university graduate it is not to say that he or she must necessarily be a better teacher than the C. or D. Certificate-holder. However, the Education Board has approved the Renwick Committee's choice, and we trust, that the selected teacher will amply justify his appointment.—Ed.]

It is not often that a boy of only eight years of age is deemed to be beyond the control of his parents, but such was the case in the Juvenile | Court at Auckland last week. The \ lad in question, a bright looking little fellow, was stated to be in the habit of playing truant from school. Even if taken there by his parents, he would run away again at the first op- } portunity. He had also been repoYted to the police for dishonesty. The policy of "spare the rod and spoil the child" had not been tried, for repeated floggings seemed to make no impression on the boy. _ The magistrate sent the boy to an industrial school, the father being ordered to pay 5s I a week towards the lad's support. J