COUNTRY SCHOOLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21342, 17 November 1932, Page 16

COUNTRY SCHOOLS

SELECTION OP TEACHERS

THE PREFERENCE QUESTION

CHANGE IN THE SITUATION

Fears that the standard of teaching in country schools might ho lowered were expressed by members of the Auckland Education Board at yesterday's meeting when (he senior inspector, Mr. J. W. McIlraith, reported that ho would bo unablo to continue the policy of giving preferonce, over more highly-graded applicants, to teachers who had given two years' service in remote country schools, or in schools below grade IV.

Mr. Mcllraith said ho had received from the Education Department a memorandum stating that in the section of the Act used by the board for this purpose it was intended to givo preference only in roally deserving cases, Moreover, it was claimed by tho department that the section was not intended to be used as a means of compelling teachers to accept country schools. Mr. Mcllraith added that tho clause was 20 years old, having been drafted at a time when rural conditions were very different from to-day.

It was also a fact, Mr. Mcllraith added, that for several years there had been a plentiful supply of teachers and that the relatively low grading of young teachers forced them nosv to accept country Bervice without any external compulsion. These facts mado it necesssry for him to say that for the future he would conform with tho general practice, and would seek the advice and co-operation of the board' 3 officers in selecting occasional worthy cases for preferonce. "I am sorry that a custom of years should be departed from, but perhaps a clause drafted 20 years ago has in recent years outlived its usefulness," Mr. Mcllraith concluded. The chairman, Mr. T. U. Wells, said he had had something to do with the formulation of the policy, which had been evolved to raiso the standard of teaching in country schools. Formerly, Training College students endeavoured to remain in and around the city, and the board had felt something drastic had to be done to induce them to take country positions. Now, however, economic conditions made the clause unnecessary, as except for specialists students had little choice of employment at all unless they went to the country. At the same time, be felt that the board should recognise country service in some way. "The c'ountry schools are entitled to at least two years of every student's 40 years' teaching career," said Mr. A. Burns, in expressing regret that the preference was to be withdrawn. If that was done, he felt that onco again all tho best teachers would be permanently congregated in the city schools, and iio encouragement would be given to those teachers who bad accepted country service. Mr. Mcllraith pointed out that the attitude taken up by the Auckland Education Board in the past had been in a sense illegal. It was the only board in New Zealand taking up that attitude. The report was received, Mr. Wells remarking that he was sure the inspector would use his discretion in the matter.