TEACHING PROFESSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19010, 5 November 1923, Page 8

TEACHING PROFESSION.

THE HEADING LIST. THE CASE FOR AUCKLAND. (Fecm Ode Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, November 4While the Auckland teachers as a body have absolute confidence in their own inspectors and are satisfied that they know and understand the teachers there is a widespread feeling that under the present system of dominion grading the teachers ot this province are being handicapped severely. “The greatest objection to the dominion scheme of grading, and it is a fatal one in the opinion of the profession in Auckland, is that there is at present no possibility of arriving at an equality of appraisement as between district and district,” said one headmaster to an Auckland f-tar representative. “Each board of inspectors grades the teachers of its own district ,but the departmental officers at Wellington make a mechanical adjustment as between the districts, apparently overlooking certain vital,, considerations. The departmental attitude is that, say, Otago has 25 first assistant masters of a certain grade and Auckland has twice as many. Then Auckland can only have within a certain radius of marks twice as many of these teachers as Otago possesses. No notice appears to bo taken of the fact that in the Auckland district the position of first assistant in a large school is used as a stepping stone to headmastership and that inspectors frequently advise likely young men to come in from the country and prove their abilities in such positions, with the result that the majority of the best and most progressive teachers here have sought senior assistantships, whereas in the south a similar typo of teacher has sought a headmatership of a lower-grade school as the best means of promotion. Thus it is contended that the body of first assistants in the southern schools are in a different class from the first assistant masters of Auckland, and that, it is unfair to grade them practically the same in point of marks, irrespective of their abilities. There are 35 headmasters in the first 20 places on the grading, list. Of these eight are in Canterbury, seven in Otago, seven in Auckland, six in Wellington, three in Hawke's Bay, two in Nelson, two in Wanganui, and none in Taranaki or Southland. Of the first 20 first assistants in the dominion eight are in Otago, and seven are ahead of the first Auckland man, there being only four Aucklanders. , The present process of mechanical adjustments by the departmental officers, it is contended leaves very much to be desired in order to secure equality of appraisement as between districts. This could be secured so far as such appraisement is humanly possible by following . the scheme propounded by a local headmaster. There _ should, he stated, be established fotir grading districts instead of nine as at present. These would not bo too cumbersome. The Auckland district at present contains practically onefourth of the graded teachers of the dominion!, and the majority of Auckland teachers are satisfied that they are justly graded in comparison with their fellows of this district. There should be appointed a carefully selected Grading Revisory Board of four grading inspectors. These inspectors should visit every grading district, and grade the typical teachers in each district., —say six to 10 of each group. If they are competent men they will secure a very fair degree of equality of appraisement as between district and'district. Their grading of these typical teachers should b© the basis upon which'the inspectorial boards of the four grading districts should grade the teachers of their own district. It is contended that in view of the general dissatisfaction with the present scheme —owing to the absence of a means by which equality of appraisement as between districts can be secured —a trial of some scheme on the foregoing lines should be made. Strong exception was taken at a meeting of the Auckland Head Masters’ Association on Friday evening to the dissemination of statements from Wellington which were considered to be criticisms of the teachprofession and 'discrediting the work of the schools. It wa s suggested that the strongest possible protest should bo made by the New Zealand Educational Institute against this nubile pointing out of defects without a full statement as to their causes. In the matter of retardation of children which was complained of. it was stated that irregular attendance and a. late commencement of studies often accounted for some cases of retardation in the primer classes, while the congestion in many schools made it impossible to move children from the infant department as early as the teachers would like. In regard to the want of accuracy, it was mentioned among other things that with the diversity of subjects now taught in the schools less time was available for the development of mechanical accuracy. It was felt that the strictures as to the training of junior teachers had been most unfair, as in the Auckland district until recently it had been well known that the number of applicants for employment aid not equal the vacancies, with the result that a considerable proportion of the junior teachers entered the service having exceedingly low educational qualifications. It was clear that no action could have been taken without leaving the schools short of junior teachers.' The improved, conditions of employment, however, notably the increased salaries, were now attracting a better qualified class of candidate. It was decided to bring these points under the notice of the institute and to Vecommend that the attention of the Minister be prawn to the fact that the unavoidable removal of pupils from school to school, which was partly due to the housing problem, wag a very reel cause of retardation It was suggested that the Minister should bo asked to consider seriously the tendency of his department to multiply regulations, and because of the neglect or inefficiency of an admittedly very small proportion of teachers ■ to impose restrictions upon the great majority of head teachers who have long and honourable service and wide experience. The meeting also decided to point out that the work of a head master was organisation ana supervision and to obtain the best results he should be free to exercise his individuality. If the inspectors were satisfied that ho made his manifest in the tone of the school and secured the hearty co-operation of his staff and good work throughout the school the number of hc/mv he actually taught was a matter of no importance and should certainly not be a matter of regulation.