FINES FOR TEACHERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19798, 19 November 1927, Page 14

FINES FOR TEACHERS.

NEGLECT OF. DUTIES, PUNISHMENT QUESTION. ■ -p BOARD OPPOSES PROPOSAL [BV TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH, FrMay. Holding that de-grading should be sufficient punishment for neglect of duty, the Canterbury Education Board to-day decided to oppose the clause in the Education Amendment Bill providing for the infliction of fines on teachers guilty of negligence. Mr. R. Wild moved that the board disagree with the clause of the bill referring to the penalty on teachers. " If a teacher is not giving satisfaction the board can dispense with his or her services," he said. "I am opposed to education boards being constituted a Magistrate's Court." Mr. Banks said the board had very little trouble with its teachers. "They are a credit to the profession," he added. " This fining business •is no good." Mr. T. Hughes supported the motion. Inspectors should penalise those guilty of neglect. * • The motion was. carried.- *' A SLUR OH PROFESSION.". SOUTH TARANAKI PROTEST* - [by telegraph.—press association.] HAWERA, Friday. The South Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute decided last evening to protest to the Minister of Education against the proposed amendment of the Education Act, giving boards power to inflict fines and deduct the amounts from teachers' salaries; Mr. L. J. Furrie, president, who, sponsored the motion, referred to the amendment as a slur on the teaching profession. OPINION IN OTAQO. , t .. efi i AMPLE POWERS UNDER ACT* [BY TELEGRAPH.-—press ' DUNEDIN, Friday. The executive of the Otago Educational Institute at a meeting to-day voiced a strong protest against the proposed amendment of the Education Act by. which Sower is conferred on the Minister to inict fines up to £lO on teachers for breaches of the regulations. The executive felt that the measure was an unmerited slur on the whdla teaching profession and that the education authorities already had ample powers to maintain discipline and had been using these powers in the'past. •' .r • It was decided to telegraph the Otago members of Parliament with a view to having the clause deleted. OBJECTIONS IN AUCKLAND. RESOLUTIONS OF PROTEST. Members of the teaching profession in Auckland are up in arms against the proposed regulations empowering education boards' to inflict fines on teachers. The following resolution-was- passed yesterday by members of the staff of the Newton Central School: —

"We protest emphatically against the uhwarranted slur cast on the teaching profession by the proposed amendment to the Education Aet empowering education boards to inflict fines on teachers for * wilful disobedience to any lawful command or for neglect of duty.' It is held that the regulation is a slur on the profession."

The clause is also objected to by teachers of the Newton West and the Devonport schools. The teaching staffs at these schools have decided to enter a protest against the clause.