OTAGO TEACHERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3307, 11 September 1872, Page 3

OTAGO TEACHERS.

to run EMTOP.. Su: In a late number of the Witness I see reference is made to the low attainments and lack of necessary qualifications in many of our Olago teachers. Tliis, I believe, is -only too true ; but the reasons are, I think, readily discovered. The first great want i:< that of a training institution, in wliich young persons of both sexes*oou!d be educated to *Jie profession (and ifc well deserves the name) of Reaching ; receiving sound instruction on tbe one bund, and imparting ifc under the •direction of high-class teachers, and according to the latest and most improved methods, on the otiier. Those who have never visited -a large and well-conducted school, in whicli the teach era arc Jadies and gentlemen in the true sense of the terms, trained, and with an enthusiasm for their work, and having all necessary appliances, would be surprised to see how pleasant and attractive, and yet thorough, learning may be made. I have known many cases iv which the severest punishment thafc could be inflicted on a child was to keep ifc away from school. A teacher, thoroughly trained, is always wide awake to every sight and sound. He classifies, organises, and then instructs, getting through more real teaching in'a day than an'untrained muddler would do in a week. Till a Training Institute is established, the want your contributor speaks of will exist. Another cause that may be adduced is the small income arising from mauy schools. A teacher's income ia often far less than a blacksmith's or bricklayer's ; and while this is the cafje, good teachers will nofc be procurable. In no profession can it lie so truly said, " the labourer is worthy of his hire." 1 notice, lastly, the want of a good teacher in a locality is often attributable solely to the squabbles of the local Committee. If the teacher be a gentleman, as every teacher should be, he finds ifc impossible to he " hail fellow well met" with every drunken or vulgar person in the distiict; then die.is .spoken of as uppish or proud, and " nob the man for us ;" or he does nofc visit the publichouse, except to see after a stray scholar, and then he is a "stingy beggar," a " mean fellow," and so on ; or he buys only 31 bs of sugar, from Mr Jones after getting 'libs from Mr Smith ; when Mr Jones is for ever afterwards a bitter enemy. This has been the experience of scores of teachers in the Colonies. The end is, that the teacher remains—feeling degraded in his own mind far more than in the minds of his'persecutors ; or he seeks for a fresh position. I do nofc mean to say thafc all Committees act thus. A few—a very few—assist the teacher and the cause of education ; a few more leave the teacher entirely alone, and thus have the negative credit of not hindering ' him in his work. But the great majority of Committees are a dead-weight on the wheels of progress. Then ifc sometimes happens that a Committee has the opportunity of selecting . a competent teacher, but, through some personal disagreement amongst the members, or . some promise of patronage made to some local candidate, the person most unfitted is • chosen. A' glaring case occurred not long ago in connection with au Otago main school. ' The gentleman firsfc elected had no qualifications of any kind, but was a near relation to a local clerical itnagnatq. The Board of Edu- ■ cation very properly refused to sanction the Committee's choice. Of the individual finally selected, bufc little can be said on the point of intellectual and educational attainments; otherwise, we suppose his motto is i'do'* as'l say and not as ldo." Yet, Mv Editor, by invftalbm of just half the • "Committee, a teacher of very high classical and mathematical attainments, thoroughly trained, with very great natural and acquired abilities, holding tlie very highest certificates from various Education Boards, and last, ; but not least, of unblemished character, had . applied. These things speak for themselves. Our present Board of Education would confer a great benefit' on the community, and, I believe, would not be straining the powers they possess, if they were in all cases to re- , fuse their sanction to any teacher's election, unless, his credentials were the highest, and his character unblemished. ; With these remarks I leave the matter in in your hands.—l. am, &c, AnvANCK Nkw Zkai-and., Southland, 4th September.