OTAGO TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3832, 23 August 1927, Page 37

OTAGO TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE.

MEETING OF COMMITTEE. A meeting of the Committee of Management of the Otago Teachers’ Institute was held in the club room on Saturday morning. The president (Mr F. E. L. Forrester) presided over a full meeting of delegates. Tho report of the proceedings of the last sittings of the General Council of Education was read and discussed. The report dealt, inter alia, with the establishment of high schools, compulsory country service for teachers, legal protection to teachers in case of accidents, swimming instruction, agricultural instruction, physical instruction, new scheme for entrants to the teaching profession. The committee was generally of tho opinion that the report was a most valuable one, and it- was decided to place it in the club room fo r the perusal of teachers. Arising out of the report was the very important matter of accidents to school children, and the teacher’s liability and personal responsibility for these. It was decided to defer consideration of this question until a later date. The committee discussed the principle of education boards or the department taking votes on such questions as female inspectors or married women teachers. It was resolved that the committee was of the opinion that no referendum of teachers should be taken except through, the institute.

The case of a teacher who was suffering hardship through the sick leave regulations was considered. The teacher in question had exhausted his sick leave when he was a nupil teacher receiving a very small salary, and under the regulations the board must deduct for any further period of sick leave. It was decided to support the executive in placingthis case Ix'fore the Minister for his sympathetic consideration.