EDUCATION REFORM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12399, 12 October 1903, Page 6

EDUCATION REFORM.

A CHECK ON INCOMPETENT TEACHING.

A DEii;T.moN- representing the Melbourne University Council, the" Professorial Board of the University, and the headmasters and mistresses of public arid secondary schools, waited on the Victorian Minister for Education a few days ago, and made the request that legislation should be introduced for the purpose of providing for the registration of teachers.

Sir John Madden, as Chancellor of the University, introduced the deputation, and remarked" that everyone would admit that it was a most desirable thing that the higher teaching in Victoria should be in the hands of persons properly qualified for the work. The university had. a direct and indirect interest in the matter. It was hampered by the fact that if, had to address itself to students unprepared for its teaching, and had to teach matters which were rightly in the. province of the secondary schools. The result was that much time was lost, and matters which might be taught to students at once could not be taught. Professor Tucker urged that a proper registration of teachers would not interfere with any class or involve any religion, and it did not mean any expense to the Department. The request was a matter of common sense, and the fact that it had not been carried into effect seemed to be largely due to accident. There should be no charlatans pretending to educate, and practically obtaining money under false pretences. Such a condition of affairs was guarded against in connection with medical work, the law, plumbing and. other professions and trades. Efficiency was most strongly insisted upon in connection with the State school and the university, but between that there was a no man's laud. There were 150,000' scholars at the State schools and 48,000 in private schools. The State accepted attendance at the private schools as proper attendance, but said. nothing as to what the teachers in those schools should know. A number of private schools were doing admirable work,, but there was no doubt that many were inefficiently staffed, the result being that the work of the university and the secondary schools was being spoilt to a great extent. The Minister Have you noticed any increase of these insufficiently-staffed j schools? * !

j Professor Tucker would say the contrary, for the university was doing a great deal to supply teachers. There were 400 primary schools within 10. miles of Melbourne, which were not State schools. ■ Nothing was known about their methods, but the knowledge conveyed by their scholars showed that teaching was not what it should be in a very large number of the schools. There should be lists of persons qualified to teach primary work, and those qualified assecondary teachers. A board of three 2 in eluding the Director of Education, but otherwise of a temporary character, should be appointed to consider the qualifications. Dr. Deeper, Mr. Sugdea, Mr. Adamson, the Rev. Dr. McLaren, and others urged that teachers shoidd be registered. Mr. Sachse regarded the registration of teachers as *»" very wise requirement, but one that would have to be so safeguarded as not to impose hardships either upon those already in practice or those who came afterwards, and owing to unfortunate "circumstances might not be able to reach a high standard of qualification." The very basis of national prosperity would be found in the education of the young people, but the arguments that had been advanced were to a great extent academic. The State could not undertake to do anything that would mean an enhancement of expenditure, but some system of registration could be carried out at once that would not involve any great expenditure. For the teaching of children ranging up to eight years of age he did not think any 'great qualification was necessary. Some very simple system might meet requirements. It had been suggested that there should be two standards, but he would suggest three standards—a sub-primary, primary, and then a secondary standard'! For the mere sake of argument, he would suppose that, in the case of schools for children up to eight years, there should not be any demand for special qualifications so long as the teachers were.not altogether illiterate. From eight years to 13 there should be a primary standard, for which the sixth classState school certificate might be the qualification, and from that point upwards matriculation might be regarded as the standard. He was entirely in favour of the registration of every kind of teacher.