EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27569, 11 December 1950, Page 6

EDUCATION

Sir, —When I wrote to your paper, I did so with the main object of protesting against what I considered, and still consider, the misuse of a column, not to enter upon a discussion on the respective merits of primary and post-primary teachers. I thought I had made that clear in my original letter. However, I feel I must pen a reply to your correspondent " 8BA.” I find it djfflcult to take seriously the assertion that the knowledge acquired in gaining a degree is of no value to the secondary teacher. It seems to me quite useless to learn how to teach, and have nothing on which to base one’s teaching. Neither branch of the service, also, has a monopoly of good or bad teachers Might I, in conclusion, ask him these questions: (1) Why is it that in his own branch of the profession, a B certificate is granted to a teacher who has six units of a bachelor’s degree, and that a master’s degree with honours is necessary for an A certificate, if/ degrees are of no value? (2) Why, wnen positions of headmasters for district high schools are advertised, does it state that a graduate is preferred (3) Why the strong opposition put up by primary teachers when it was made impossible for subjects to be taken extramurally? (4) Does not his own service advocate qualification pay for those who hold degrees?—l am, etc., T. R. Richards.

Sir,—l have read with interest the many arguments printed In your columns as to whether secondary teachers with degrees are better qualified to teach than their undegreed colleagues. As a pupil I should like to express my opinion as to who makes the better teacher. Having experienced both types of teachers I am convinced that a man who has spent several years at university has a far wider field of knowledge than his colleague who has only passed through training college. Perhaps if " 8 BA ” and his supporters were to spend a morning with a teacher who was trying to teach Shakespeare—most of which he had not studied since his school days—he might understand why the pupils in their boredom refused to work hard and were unanimous in preferring a degreed teacher. Socalled " chemistry teachers” who have a diploma of home science, are just as bad and many pupils detest this subject simply because they have not been properly taught. I am not trying to argue that a degreed teacher always makes a better teacher simply because he has a M.A., but undoubtedly he has a far wider knowledge of his subject and therefore deserves a higher salary. As for burning “ the midnight oil.” no primary teacher can argue that he has a tenth of the homework to mark which his secondary school colleague has on top of games, concerts and very much longer exam, papers.—l am. etc.. School Girl.