“OBJECTIONABLE REGULATIONS.”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19135, 1 April 1924, Page 8

“OBJECTIONABLE REGULATIONS.”

THE MINISTER’S ATTITUDE. RESENTED BY HEADMASTERS. (Peb United Pavaa Association.) WELLINGTON, March 31. Replying in tho Press to the statement of the Minister of Education in a Press Association message from Christchurch on Friday, tho Wellington Headmasters’ Association considers the statement biased. The whole trend of its discussion with the Minister, it is argued was a plea for cancellation of the regulations. An invitation was received from the Minister, through the Director of Education, to discuss the new regulations, and the association accepted the invitation. The headmasters state that they were treated as a deputation, their speaker not being allowed to deliver the first part of his statement. They say that be was subjected to frequent disconcerting interruptions. The association treats the argument as fallacious that because the head teacher of a school of 400 children teaches all his time therefore the head teacher of a large school should be able to teach half his time. It is stated that the hardest school to conduct successfully is the former, and the teacher in charge, tied down to his class, has to dd what department is not willing to do; he has to trust his subordinates to do their job. The association contends that the inspectors have reported that the efficiency of these schools has suffered because of the inability of the head teacher to devote sufficient time to general supervision and to the civic life of the school. The statement asserts that Mr Foster has been misrepresented. It was only when the Minister gave his own (not tho department’s) definition of the word teaching that Mr Foster remarked that it had a definition which included examination work; that he taught four hours out of five, and was able to do so because he not only started work early but he also took work homo and spent hours in getting it completed. The association stresses the point that it is no argument to say that, because headmasters are shirking their duty, regulations are necessary. Shirkers should be on the graded list, and if necessary should be removed from their positions. The efficient headmaster should be allowed to conduct his school as experience haa taught him it can best bo conducted, and not mode an automaton by regulation. The association urges that headmasters of long experience might as a body well be trusted to do their best in their own way for the young lives placed in their care. The association’s statement notes that tho Minister ignored the latter part of its criticism; tnat he stressed only one point, and did not allude to other objectionable features nor to the general trend of the whole. It concludes with an earnest appeal to- the Minister yhole-heartedly to withdraw th©so impracticable and undesirable regulations, and it assures him that he will find his reward in the fact that the great body of teachers will mept his trust with trustworthiness.