DISCUSSION CONTINUES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16923, 11 April 1929, Page 4

DISCUSSION CONTINUES

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS REPLY TO MR. STEWART (Per Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, last night. Replying to the criticism of Mr. John Stewart, uf Marlborough College, Mr. A. G. Butchers, author of the pamphlet, “After Standard Four, What?” said that there was no necessity to talk about “giving the lie direct” to criticism offered in good faith and supported hv the weight of evidence of experts such as Mr. Frank Tate. In regard to Mr. Stewart’s reported statement that it is not true that secondare teachers arc untrained, Mr. Butclieis called attention to the 1924 report of the chief inspector of secondary schools of New Zealand, which read, “The lack of training among secondary school teachers has become almost a byword. ’ Mr. Tate in his report to the New Zealand Education Department in 1926 also said that “a system of training for secondary teachers is urgently needed,” and that “New Zealand has not developed anv system of training technical school teachers.” The majority report of the syllabus revision committee in 1928 said that “no proper provision exists for the training of post primary teachers.” Tn conclusion. Mr. Butchers said that too little attention had been paid to Mr. Tate’s report, which was constructive as well as devastating in ils criticisms, and both educationally and economically sound in its practical recommendations.