TEACHERS' GRADING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24834, 6 February 1942, Page 4

TEACHERS' GRADING

MARKS ALLOTTED ON AVERAGES FtEUEF FOE INSPECTORS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 5. The abolition of the present system of grading of teachers in favour of biannual grading ris lor- in the education amending regulations,, which were issued with the Gazette to-night. The Minister of Education, Mr H. G.. R. Mason, in an explanatory statement, said that the, change-over had been agreed upon by the. Education Department and the ■ New Zealand; Educational Institute. Under the amended regulations grading marks every alternate year would simply be allotted on a system of averages without making special reports. The Minister emphasised that the teachers would still be assured of all the rights they enjoyed under the existing system. . .-. , Y . Duties of Inspectors

The general purpose of the changeover, Mr Mason said, was to. diminish the amount of routine work which the present system imposed on inspectors. So great had the burden become that inspectors were beginning to have time for little else,'and important aspects of their work were. suffering. The Minister said an inspector was not merely a judge. He was, or should be, a friend, adviser and helper, but the burden of assessing a teacher’s qualifications and grading marks left hint no time to be anything else than an assessor. . Now he would have two years to do this work of mere assessing, enabling him to give more attention to assisting schools which he felt required it. ■ The well-being of the educational system depended greatly upon a capable inspectorate, the Minister said, and that implied naturally that the inspectorate should have an opportunity of performing its functions. The change-over would allow facilities for the exercise of all the functions of inspectors and would be welcomed by the teachers as well as by the inspectors.' ... Technical Schools The regulations also contained • clause of interest to the authorities controlling technical schools, the Minister said. Certain clauses relating to combined schools were now made applicable to technical schools. In combined schools the controlling authority nominated the headmaster and; the nomination had to be confirmed by the Minister of Education, and if as the result. of the Minister disagreeing and; negotiations not resulting in an appointment within a certain time, the Minister could make an appointment. The new regulations now make these provisions applicable to technical schools, and it should rto longer be possible for a 'case l to arise sUcH as ; recently occurred : at Otahuhu, where ai situation threatened in which a school would be permanently without a head - master by reason of the controlling board taking po further action to make a second choice upon the Minister declining to approve its appointee.