TEACHERS MEETING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18541, 29 April 1922, Page 5

TEACHERS MEETING

A largely-attended meeting of the Otago Assistant Masters’ Association was held on Thursday evening for the purpose of considering the grading list as contained in a recent issue of the Gazette. Numerous anomalies and discrepancies were pointed out and discussed bv teachers. It was shown that teachers but recently left the Training College had been placed higher than teachers who had for some time been appointed to positions in schools. One of the assistants present gave a remarkable illustration of the peculiar elasticity of the system which governed the awarding of marks under the scheme. _ He and another teacher had taken up positions about the same time, yet he now found himself approximating 70 marks below that other teacher on the list. In particular, the position of the Otago assistants this year on the list, as compared with assistants of other provinces, was severly commented upon, the aydrage increase of the Otago assistants being found to bo considerably lower than those of other provinces, the position of whose assistants had been worked out. The whole position was regarded as having a very unsettling effect on teachers generally, and certain definite steps were proposed to remedy matters. The meeting unanimously passed a resolution strongly expressing its indignation with the grading, system- as at present constituted, the opinion, being freely expressed that, in its present practical application as a basis of promotion, the scheme was highly unsatisfactory ,and inequitable.