“MARKED CONFIDENTIAL.”

Otago Witness, Issue 3672, 29 July 1924, Page 63

“MARKED CONFIDENTIAL.”

INSPECTORS’ REPORTS ON TEACHERS.

At tho annual meeting of the School Commitees’ Association held on June 26 last a very keen debate took place on the question of making inspectors’ reports available lor school committees, and it was decided on the motion of Mr R. Ferguson that the secretary be instructed to write tu the Hon. C. J. Rarr (Minister of Education) drawing attention to the fact that inspectors’ reports were marked and treated as conlidential. Mr W. Mac Kay, secretary of the School Committees’ Association, has received the following reply from the Minister of Education, dated Wellington, July 16:— “ With reference to your letter of July 3, I havo to state that you have evidently misunderstood my previous communication. The Otago Education Board is quite correct in stating that the confidential report which the inspector gives to the teacher is for the teacher’s use only. These reports consist largely of hints on teaching and suggestions regarding method and school work which the inspector could not give nearly a.r fully and freely in any other way. “ My reply of October 17, 1923, to the Otago Education Board in connection with our letter to the board dated October 11 stated that there was nothing in the regulations to prevent the inspectors from giving a clear indication in their report of the general efficiency of individual teachers. This still holds good, but it would not warrant the committee in receiving a copy of the confidential notes between the inspector and the teacher regarding details of elasswork. It should be understood that these confidential reports are not at all of the nature of the short individual report that some inspectors used to embody in their general report to the board, which was sent to the school committee. The present confidential report to the teacher contains what the inspector formerly used to discuss verbally with the teacher, and which was not embodied in any report. “ The present system is of great value to the teacher in giving him a definite statement of questions on method in school work, which formerly he was likely to forget or overlook. I think you will see the difference “As previously stated, however,, the inspector may embody in the general report a statement regarding the efficiency of the teachers. —(Signed) C. J. Parr, Minister of Education.’