TEACHERS' GRIEVANCES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18710, 16 May 1924, Page 12

TEACHERS' GRIEVANCES

ALLEGED CENTRALISATION. ' "BELITTLING THE SERVICE." QUESTION OF REGULATIONS. REPLY TO DEPARTMENT/

The.; differences which have arisen between school teachers and the -Education Department were referred,to yesterday at a meeting of the Auckland . branch vof the New Zealand Educational Institute.The president, Mr. W. H. Newton, presided. }'-t. ■ .: . ' v „'-: : " -",, '"', Mr. Newton said that last March things happened which called for editorial comment in the newspapers on the relation of teachers generally to the department. As president, he felt it incum- j bent on him to traverse the matter of the comments, and his reply was published in the newspapers. Since then he had received a letter from the Director of Education, in which Mrf/Caughley said he had noted the published letter, which made charges; against the 1 department. . Hs asked if ', Mr. ;1 Newton would supply instances where the "centralisation policy" of the director had arousied the feelings of teachers, and of instances where the director had belittled and discredited his officers. ; Mr • Newton said ho had not yet replied officially to the letter, but had "mply replied in a personal note stating that he could disclose details of the teachers case against the department At a meeting of the management committee of the local branch of the institute, on Wednesday, however, it was decided that » letter be sent through the central- executive giving the department the specific instances asked for. . ' t r,. "I think I have represented, -.continued Mr. Newton, "the feelings of the •teachers toward the department: at >ho present time. (Hear, hear.) What 1. wrote to the newspapers was what J knew the teachers were saying, . and what they were feeling. It is>; not ; easy to pick out specific instances of centralisation. When you take ; one thing, it is not much in itself, but if five Or, ten things tended in . the : same direction, that makes you . feel you 'are distrusted We deeply resent the suspicion with which the service is regarded." . (Ap"'

plause.) , ; , . . ; , Mr. iNewton then read and explained a rough draft of the letter which ft was proposed should form the reply to the department. A multiplicity and infinite detail pf t. regulations mad? teachers ashamed of doing their work in a narrow rut, without an opportunity of expressing personality and individuality, without which nd teacher could work to the best advantage. The spirit of the regulations, and the mistrust, and suspu: . ion was what had annoyed the teachers. Then there was the restriction ~in stationery, which had paused school workers to suffer. A third point was the short notice of the change of the time of the teachers' examinations, and the change in the syllabus of the examination. . Toe teachers were held ',' responsible by . the department for the passing by examina- , tion of the young people. A sudden announcement that the examination would be held four months earlier f made things very difficult, especially, when '" they knew "the kind of students they had to deal with. The letter also ■ referred to the regulation, since withdrawn, which provided that a lady teacher, with a grade three salary had to be put"" id the infant room, whether suitable or not, As far as the "belittling of teachers" • was concerned, there was the 1000 hours* of work statement. "That was a wicked thing," said Mr. Newton, "and, as one teacher- defifered; 1 , never be forgotten and never forgiven," V Mr. A.. J. C.' Hall: It should have been' retracted and "an apology pub-

lishcd. - ,V . ,'"•'.'' ;. : '•'' Mr. Newton added that there were a good many other things, but those were the lines on which it was. proposed' :to

■.■ reply. ? .. . —...■ j;. : . '^M'\., :' The action of the wnrrmttee » : W. ing the letter was endorsed. A riiotion : was proposed expressing -1 the f high-Appre-ciation of the peeting- of the attitude ;. of the president in. defending the teachers from attacks, and : assuring him of its hearty support. The .motion was-'car- "* tied unanimously.and with loud applause.