TEACHERS' GRADING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16776, 18 August 1916, Page 3

TEACHERS' GRADING

DISCUSSION BY EDUCATION BOARD. MOltE INFORMATION WANTED. Tho much ditcusTd uachcrs' (frail up scheme was as;&m considered by tho Ot.iujo lVhMil at Ito IlKL'llliut iv, vriicii Diio mi-Siu.- Jact-oi v posi.jou .UioiUnl io Otogu ti.Khora j 3 'oi» , i..liy v.us I'Oii'U-d out by tho (Mi D. '1. 1'" limit;). It seemed to lum. lie said, that the UltUfO fiux-nerh, tor home reason or otliei, luu b.it£ored very !>idly. r iho b5 automatic marks ui somo c<k>is3 altogether cubiimged Uie 15 mirks jw.irui_d lor nient .done. lo illustrate tho unUir petition. 111 winch 01, Lojcherb v. cro He tjuonoil fiom tables fallowing the reUt.vo p O -> ir,o ' vs iwMll tors, mid reitihiated woiiku twichtra in various cducat'on distneus. In Auckland all tho 17 hoad of the schools m glide 7 wcie among (ho inst 62 on the list, whereas m Otago only thrco out of ll such hejj.lm.ii(ors were m tho hn-t 62. Auckland had 103 two fxist a.--bt.tants, of v.hom 19 were ni tho first 25, but out of Otago's 60 malo first assistants only oue was in tho fust 25. Yet while Auckland secured 79 per cent, of prolicioncy passes Otago secured 80 per cent,, ot proLciencics. AuokLmd, witii 468 icrlitioatcd ■women teaciiers had 14 in tlid first 25, and .bouthland, \utii 10l euch toacheis, had two in tho first 25; and Otago, >\ ith c 64. had two m tho first 25. Auckland haQ three times ttie ratio >t ought to liave, ar.d Southland over tv. ice. Any sclicmo whioh brought about results like that must ha\o something radically wrong about it. _ It seemed to him that one of the lii>t tilings tne department should have rlono would havo been to get all the chief l ispect-oi s '\ogetker in conference and arrive at somo •tandard and bas.s on which marks weie to bo awarded. As it na.«, tho director _ went round and mot some ol them m different sections. Tho graded h~t disclosed somo fearful and wonderful results apparent to any one "who went through it. Ho observed from inspired paragraphs and otherwise that a bold attempt was being inado to creato ilie impression that in spite of tho widespread irritation and discontent, a wonderful, successful result had boon achieved. Tho Assistant Director of Edu- < cation was coming down Jiero soon to thresh out the whole thing with the teachers, and with tho determination to convineo them hero that tho grading was right He took it, however, that ho was prepared to reopen tho question, in some coses, and it might bo tJiat tha conference would rcFiilt in an amendment, of tho scheme. The board must do vrhat it could to see that its teachers were justly r.reated. The teachers had asked for this scheme for years, and now that they had got it there was a vrnvo of dissatisfaction from Auckland to Bluff. 'J he Minister, or tho dep.trtmcsit nad said that tho scheme was not going to be brought into operation now, but was only prepared for some future use. That, ha took it, was to some extent a backdown, because ti>ey «ill understood the schema waa going to be brought into operation at once. Mr Livingstone: lJow do you account for Otago being so unfairly treated? Do you thmk that Otago is so muali superior to other pLaces that it needs to be handicapped? Tho Chairman said that the marks on which tho grading had been, decided were not wit-hm their reach, and uhey could only judge of the results. He oould not expiajj), and he did not think that anybody eiso could explain, the humiliating position which Otago teachers occupied on the list. Mr M'fCnJay said they were very largely ignorant about the method adopted by the department, and if they could have a conference with Mr Caughley they might bo able to como to a better judgment. They were all agreed thai tha Otago teaciiers vere suffering grave injustice, and they wanted more information. X"hey might find, a& Mr Caughley insisted, that ;hore was somo very good reason for tho position adopted. He moved " that Mr Caughley be asked to meet the board in conierence regarding the grading- scheme, on a date to be arranged." Mr Erugh seconded the motion. Mr Horn said he would like to hear tho chief inspector's vieiws, but Air Richardson pointed out that tho whole question was tub jndico. All he could cay was that tho grading had been done by four inspectors iu conference, in accordance with the licc sent to them by tho assistant director. Mr Wallace said he sympathised very much With the Otago tcaehers in the positon in which they wero placed. It was right that they should hear some reasons Vihy the graded scheme had been carried aot on such lines. Tho motion was > carried. Mr Wilkinson then moved: "That this board expresses its surprise and disappointment that the grading scheme u Inch has been piovided in response to the urgent demand of tbo teachers of the dominion has pioved utterly unacceptable to those it .is intended to benefit, as in ifc3 present form it docs grave injusti&o to and prejudically affects the prospects of a very large number of worthy men and women. Tins board further respectfully requests that immediate steps be taken to place this scheme on a moie satisfactory basis so thatfc the confidence may bo secured of all teachers throughout tho dominion." Mr Wilkinson said the list had entirely defeated the pjrpose tho reo-cliers bad in view when they asked for such a schemo. Either the graded scheme was a grave injustice to tho teachers of Otago or else we had had an unduly exalted idea of tho educational work carried on m Otago for many years.—(Members: " No, no!") He quoted statistics justifying Otago's claim to be the educational centre of New Zealand, and pointed out that other parts of the dominion were eager to obtain the services of teachers from Otago. Mr Todd seconded the motion, and referred to tho spiflodid results achieved by Otago in the proficiency and standard exam ' nations.

jlr Bruph said ho was in accord with tho idea behind the motion, but did not favour the form of it. It was putting them in the position of taking up tho cudgels on behalf of all tho teachers of tho dominion.

Mr Borrio said he was not in a position to speak, as he had not seen the scheme. It Vnis not thcor duty to go and fight for the touchers. The teachers were quite abjo to fight their own battles.—(Expressions ot dissent.)

'Iho Chairman and others expressed tile view that Mr Wilkinson's motion would lay the board open to receive a siap from the department. He suggested that the motion be hold over till after the confcrenca. and ilr Wilkinson agreed to -withdraw it.