A GOOD SIGN

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12455, 25 May 1926, Page 3

A GOOD SIGN

SECONDARY SCHOOL ASSISTANTS LESS DISCONTENT IN PROFESSION ANNUAL MEETING TO-DAY “Very little has been heard this year of the vexed salary question or of the classification of teachers. This is a good sign. The unrest and discontent in the profession has largely subsided, though there are still one or two matters that the association is concerned with." This clause is contained in the annual report of the Secondary Schools Assistants’ Association, which will be presented to the annual meeting at Wellington to-day. “In the first place," the report continues, “we are still waiting patiently for the rectification of anomalies in the matter of superannuation. Your secretary and a representative from the S.S.A. made a very strong plea to the Minister for Education, to have the whole position gone into. The Minister promised a commission of inquiry, which has so far not come into being. In justice to teachers who are growing old in the service—one of two things should be done, viz., either this commission should be set up at once or the amendments which have been prepared for at least two or three years, should be introduced when Parliament meets. “In the second place, the appointment of teachers to vacancies on secondary school staffs, has given rise to some criticism just within the last month or two. In one case the headmaster definitely recommended for appointment to a vacancy one of the members of his own staff, which would, of course, necessitate consequential promotions for other teachers in the same school. The Board of Governors of this school, contrary to the principal’s recommendation, appointed an outside teacher to the vacancy. In doing so the board acted quite within its rights, with the result that the teachers of that school were extremely dissatisfied. “The secretary was appealed to, but he was unable to recommend that the appeal be brought under the notice of the executive. The matter lies wholly between the principal and his staff on the one hand and with the board on the other. He, more than the staff, should be the aggrieved party. TRIBUTE TO MINISTER

“By the time that the annual meeting is held, the present Minister foT Education, Sir James Parr, will be on his way to England to take over the important position ( of High Commissioner for New Zealand. The secondary , I school service owes a very great deal j to Sir James, and this is particularly j, true in regard to all assistant tea- | chers. Even his political opponents j must admit the Minister’s wonderful ! capacity for work, his energy, and his 1 whole-hearted devotion to the welfare of education. “In addition to our thanks for his lively interest in the work of the as- I sociation and in the welfare of the pro- j fession, we extend to Lady Parr ana to Sir James our heartieGt good wishes fot I their future. Judging by the readiness which he at all times displayed to talk matters over with members of this as- i sociation, he will continue to take as j far as he can the same interest as j heretofore, in New Zealand educational matters. Finally, we desire to put on i record our appreciation of the very harmonious relations that have at ail I times existed between Sir James Parr’s department and this association." 1 “That there is now somewhat more 1 unanimity among the great body of 1 teachers of all kinds regarding junior i high schools. There is now no offi- ; cial advocacy of their attachment to existing primary schools. In intermei diate centres, the consensus of opinion is in favour of their attachment to existing secondary schools, DEBATABLE QUESTION | “The problem of entirely separate , junior high schools in the large centres is still a debatable one, though , one sees little at present in the way of alternative. One suggestion I should like to offer for large centres is that when junior high schools of a sepa) ate entity are established in cities, provision should be made- for , their gradual development into sec- > ondary schools proper, with a junior l department Much money and considerable areas of land, however, will be necessary for this. UNIFORMITY TERMS “ r lhe report makes reference to the i lack of uniformity in school terms, t It is suggested + hat early in the third > term of the year the incoming executive circularise all the schools to try » whether greater uniformity cannot be 5 brought about. \ COURSES OF INSTRUCTION T “It is felt that there is need in I many schools to broaden our curri- . cula by increasing the number of % courses, thus providing more liberally than wo sometimes do for the r many-sided aptitudes of our pupils. At this stage in educational reform, the s opportunity is open for a movement e such as this; for we have to consider t that after all, only a small percentage e of our pupils proceed to a higher t course of education. :! TEACHERS’ TRAINING “A meeting early in the year came c to the conclusion that it would be .j. hardly possible to establish a scheme (1 for the training of secondary teachers c in one separate central training college ; but that a scheme for training rt in connection with our large city • c schools might He adopted."