MANY TEACHING CHANGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18895, 18 December 1924, Page 12

MANY TEACHING CHANGES.

SECONDARY SCHOOL PROBLEM

EFFECT OF GRADING SYSTEM.

A point which, f-he said, was becoming rather noticeable in the staffing of secondary schools was mentioned by Miss W. Picken, headmistress of the Auckland Girls' Grammar School, in her report delivered at tho prize-giving ceremony last evening.

The grading system introduced some years ago was, Miss Picken said, in many ways excellent, and gave a feeling of security to teachers, who would in most cases be unwilling to return to the former rather haphazard method of promotion. She' thought, however, that most secondary schools were finding more and more that it was likely to result in very frequent changes. Teachers promoted in grade naturally wished to receive corresponding promotion in position, and if there were no vacancies of higher grade in their own school, looked elsewhere. Tho school was thus likely to lose some of its best teachers. In several instances they had been able to promote within the school, but that was not always possible, and would perhaps be less so as the number of teachers in the higher grades increased. For girls who were leaving, or who left within the last few years, Miss Picken said she wished to emphasise a matter which was discussed at the Secondary Schools' Conference last May, and that was the choice of subjects for those who proceeded to the university. Many students presented for their degrees subjects which were of little definite uso if they wished to teach in secondary schools. It was becoming more and more difficult to obtain teachers for senior work in such subjects at Latin, mathematics, and science. Commenting on Miss Picken's remarks, the Minister for Education, the Horn C. J. Parr, said ho was afraid there was pome substance in her contention that tho grading system bad led to teachers changing frequently from school to school. That was not in the best interests of either school or pupils. No ona wished to deprive teachers of reasonable opportunities of promotion, but he hopea the teachers themselves would assist in solving the problem of too frequent transfers. The Education Department and the school board must see to it that each teacher remained a reasonable time in each post, and left it, if possible, at the end of the year. The realisation of that aim, while retaining the grading system, would conduce greatly to tho interests of individual pupils and schools and of tho secondary system as a whole.