GRADING OF TEACHERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18545, 4 May 1922, Page 10

GRADING OF TEACHERS

INSPECTORS’ VARYING STANDARDS. OTAGO TEACHERS’ DISADVANTAGE. In past years there have been complaints at various times from teachers stationed in Otago about what they considered was unfair grading, the comparison being made usually with teachers at the same grade of school in Auckland province.- '1 he yearly appearance of the graded list of primary school teachers is the most important event of the year to them, for according to their position in the list will bo their salary and their chances of transfers and promotions. In this matter the inspectors wield an absolute power. In theory the teachers have a certain right of appeal, but inpracticc their fate is settled by the inspector when he allots (he murks to which ho thinks they, are entitled.' The graded list is arranged' according to marks, the names of all those on the same marl; being grouped together and arranged alphabetically. Each teacher is also supplied,with the separate marks on which his dr her grading was determined. Each cun therefore easily ascertain their relative position in the whole ranks, and the . confidential report should assist them some measure to an understanding of the method by which their marks were determined. Besides the grading of the teachers there is a grading of schools, and in this case the practice is uniform throughout the dominion. By a somewhat laborious search, therefore, the teachers of one province, by comparing their grades with those of teachers at the same grade of school in other provinces, can arrive at an estimate of the relative standards of grading of the ’ provincial inspectors. , ■. Applying' (his process to the new graded list this year, the local discovered that the advantage that has been enjoyed by Ailckland has now extended also to Wellington and Canterbury. Taking teachers with’ the same certificates and attached to the same grade of school, they have found instances, time and again, where the Otago teacher is several marks below those in corresponding positions in other districts mentioned. The grade list istelf,, without the aid of a list of graded schools, shows that the best teacher in. New Zealand is apparently a certain headmaster in Nelson, who is the only teacher out of the whole list who has been awarded full marks. Next to him come 1 Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury headmasters, in that order, and then come to Dunedin teachers, placed along with one froni Wanganui, one from Nelson, one from Wellington, and two from' Canterbury. Instances could be multiplied which seem io bear out the teachers’ ’contention (hat the standard adopted bv the 'four inspectors in Otago is higher (hah that of their colleagues in the ether provinces, thus resulting in the unsatisfactory showing made by Otago teachers -in the grade.d list. This seems to be the.only reasonable explanation of what is certainly a most discouraging state of affairs, sinc(?“it is hard to suppose that Otago, of all the provinces, has produced a whole army of teachers of inferior standing. To the teachers the position is a serious one. as their salaries are determined by their position on the graded list. They are also put at a disadvantage when applying Tor appointments, as compared with northern teachers. It means that Otago teachers have little chance in the competition for North Island vacancies, and, vice versa, those from the north enjoy an undoubted advantage should they desire to apply for southern positions. ihe teachers do not intend to remain quiet under their present disadvantages, and are quietly organising to impress the powers that be with the realisation of the discontent that, is prevalent among members of the profession in Otago. Both a committee of the Headmasters’ Association and the committee of management of the Otago Educational Institute have the matter in hand, and their reports will be considered ;it the annual conference of Otago teachers during Winter Shoiv Week. . Unfortunately, owing to their absence from town, it is not possible to state thd local inspectors’ side of the question. But taking (he grading system'oil its merits—and quite aphrt from the moot question whether it is possible to measure a teacher’s value in. so many points—it seems not the best of methods for determining a teacher’s standing, salary, and prospects. The inspectors are mvgsted with great power over the lives of of the teachers, and the diftcrenco in their standards abd judgments has resulted only too plainly in a graded list that bristles with anomalies. Against all this the touchers enjoy the right of appeal only in the hounds of their particular education district, so that the teachers of Otago are at, present without any means of redress for the disadvantage, under which they are, all working. ■ ".i... \ THE A.W.U. AND THE 0.8. U. TO THE EDITOR. Siiq.-ayln Mr Paul’s special column last week we have quoted two very important statements by Mr C.’ Grayndler (the delegate to the 0.8. U. Conference in Australia, representing the NoV Zealand Union) upon which Mr Paul offers no comment. . . ‘Mr Grayndler apparently belongs-to the school which learns nothing as he proposes to dispose of 'capitalism by industrial and political. action —in other words, Red Revolution; and the experience of Russia in its attempt, to abolish private ownership of anything" (private ownership being synonymous with capitalism) has no meaning for him. _ His other statement is that “it only remains for working-class unions to . . . take part in the task of liberating the means of life from those who use them for gratification of greed.” Can you, sir. or the editoy of the column, explain what these words mean? In, whose hands are the “moans of life,” and who holds them to gratify greed ? They seem to me to be simply words without sense. Is it not possible that Mi Grayndler, in his grand scheme of general confiscation, might himself suffer? I fancy there are few Labour leaders who have not some accumulated funds, bo only in the form of a house, r, deposit in the Savings Bank, or a life policy, and if capitalism is to go surely these forms of it must also go. The danger of a tyrannical body like the 0.8. U.. whose ultimate object must, be ihe destruction of democracy and the rule of despotism, is surely made clear in these remarks by one of its strongest advocates, and'it behoves every lover of his country to lie no and doing, so that the calamity promised under the guise of a general “divide” can be efficiently dealt with before'it is too late.—l am, etc.. M. THE GOVERNMENT LOAN. TO THE EDITOR. ♦ Sir. —Mr Massey says he cannot profitably use money at 6 per cent. There, are a great number of producers and business firms who could profitably use double the amount at even per cent. If it were divided among (he lending departments of the State it would do much to restore prosperity- one half per cent, on a large sum should pay office expenses. A former Ministry came to the relief of the excessive interest charges of tha.t period when the system of advances to settlers was initiated. If the Government departments had a plentiful supply of money at 51 per cent, the present extortionate bank rates would disappear.' A banking authority quoted recently in the press defended the charge of 7 per cent, on overdrafts oh the ground thrtt it was no higher tl]an mortgage rates. This is another instance of our present topsy-t.urveydom Formerly it used to be considered an axiom that liank' rates regulated mortgage and till other rates. The ■ balance sheets of all banks Drove that for the past .few years they have been the grossest nrofiteers. The public credit saved them from disaster in former years. Now, they hit the community hardest when it is least ’able to hear it. There is room for statesmanship here. The Grvornmcnt should import all the capital it can gel at 5 per cent.’—l am, etc.. Farmer. May 1. THE ECONOMICAL MAXWELL. The New Model Light-Four Maxwell has arrived, bringing wflh it the solution of a hitherto unsolved difficulty—reliability and comfort on a basis of strict economy. The New Maxwell if- for the average man' who does not want to sink a lot of capital in a large car, and who knows he would be called on to face heavy running costs if, he did. The Maxwell is the- best car investment in the dominion. It ig low j n price and low in upkeep cost, and will “fill the bill” under the varying and trying conditions governing motoring -in N ew ' Zealand to-day. The New Maxwell LightFour baa been improved “out of sight” - in comparison to former models. A new and satisfactory feature is the Double Unit Lighting System whereby risk of- light failure is reduced to a negligible point. In every ■ respect the New Maxwell is the modern and desirable car. You dan ob-.. tain it in five-seater model and with Colonial-built body. Agemts: , Davidqon.and' Dungey, Moray place, Dunedin.-—Advt, ■