TRAINING OF TEACHERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19125, 17 September 1925, Page 11

TRAINING OF TEACHERS.

THE WELLINGTON COLLEGE. SERIOUS OVERCROWDING. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. In the opinion of its principal, Mr. W. H. Gould, the Wellington Training College, which contains 345 students,' is grossly overcrowded, having been built for only 150. Mr. Gould considers that the trouble will not be much relieved by the Education Department's proposal to cut down the number to 290 in 1926 and 1927. The Wellington Education to-day received letters from the department suggesting the reduction and from the principal commenting on the proposal. Mr. Gould stated that even if the number of students were reduced to 290 the change would leave tho lecture rooms, laboratories, staff rooms and common rooms still just as inadequate and congested. Wellington's accommodation and facilities would still be somewhat less than half those of the Auckland Training College. The present building at Kelburn was capable of accommodating satisfactorily only about 150 students. " On the urgent solicitation of the department," wrote Mr. Gould, " we have crowded into it nearly 350. That is not evidence of its capacity to accommodate approximately that number. It is evidence merely that we have sacrificed the students and their training to the exigencies of the moment." Mr. London suggested that such a policy applied to primary schools would be disastrous. . The chairman, Mr. T. Forsyth, said the surplus students would be distributed among the other training colleges of the Dominion. Mr. London said tho increasing population of the Dominion demanded more teachers. The size of classes should be reduced. He strongly protested against a policy of " mistaken economy." The chairman said it was to be regretted that the department seemed to be retracing its steps from its original forward policy. The accommodation was too small iu Wellington. In Auckland they v were better off.

The board resolved to enter a strong protest against the proposal of the department and to point out that even with the number of students limited to 290 the accommodation was quite inadequate.