TRAINING OF TEACHERS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17957, 8 December 1932, Page 11

TRAINING OF TEACHERS

CLOSING OF COLLEGES ! r: d f<v > ?

OPPOSITION CONTINUED

REPORT TO PARLIAMENT

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Goal. Central Otago) presented to the House to-day the report of the Educational Committee on the Otago Education Board’s petition that the four training colleges be retained. The committee expressed the opinion that there should be greater co-opera-tion on the part of education organisations in relation to the training of teachers so as to avoid, as far as possible, the duplication of staffs and courses, and that there should bo closer co-operation between the Education Department, education boards and university colleges. Directing attention to Hie recommendation of the 1930 Parliamentary Committee on Education that training colleges and staffs should be handed over to the control of the universi'y authorities, and that general lecturers so handed over should he utilised lo reduce the sizes of classes in the university arts and science departments, the committee recommended that this section of the .1930 report to the Government for favorable consideration. Mr. H. Atniore (lnd. Nelson) said the committee's recommendation had been a unanimous one. He said it would not be economy to close two of the training colleges. The evidence placed before the committee showed that such a course would inflict a grave injustice on the young people of Wellington and Dunedin. Allowances had been reduced, and the children of poorer families would not be able to afford to attend training colleges in other centres. Evidence had also been presented to show that, a great number of the Dominions’ most successful teachers had come from poorer homes. Mr. Atmore described the committee’s recommendation as most satisfactory, and said he hoped that it was not yet too late for the Government to retrace its steps and rescind the decision to close the colleges mentioned.

Mr. C. Carr (Lab. Timaru) supported the committee’s recommendation. He said great advantage could be obtained by training teachers in a university atmosphere and in association with those at the top of the educational tree.

Messrs. 11, A. Wright (Coal. Wei. Sub.), F. Jones (Lab. Dunedin S.), J. W. Munro (Lab. Dunedin NY), and J. A. Maepherson (Coal. Oarnaru) also expressed appreciation of Hie committee’s recommendation. Mr. Jones drew attention to the suggestion of the Otago Education Board involving a scheme to retain the four colleges and at the same time save £.17,000 annually, whereas the closing of the two colleges would result in saving only £14,000. Air. S. G. Smith (Coal. New Plymouth) said there were 700 unemployed teachers at present, and 581. would pass out; of the training colleges this year, with the result that at the be ginning of next year there would bo .1200 trained teachers without any odetipation. ■Mr. P. Fraser (Lab. Wei. C.) said the position in respect to unemployed teachers had been accentuated as a result of raising the school admission age, He pointed-out that a reduction in the size of classes, which had long been recommended, would assist the position.

Several other members spoke.in sup port of the committee’s recommenda tion.

'The report was adopted, and similar reports on other petitions bearing oh the same subject were also adopted.