Training of Teachers.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2369, 29 December 1898, Page 2

Training of Teachers.

A fully-attended committee meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Education Board was held tiie other day to consider the question of a training school for pupil teachers. The chairman, Dr Bidey, submitted a statement in writing, in which he referred to the failure of the attempts by the Board to draw up a satisfactory scale of salaries, and then to the question of training pupil teachers. On this subject be said Various schools, during the last 20 years, have passed through very heavy experiences through the appointment of pupil teachers to the same school in which they were reared. This has shaken some of these schools to the very roots. School committees are often anxious to secure appointments to their children or friends and promote these objects rather than watch for the progress of the schools themselves. Then again, for all the period of these 20 years we have had the committees and teachers of the better schools insisting on having teachers trained in Otago or Christchurch. They say there has not been one of our own trained teachers fit to occupy these schools. The most recent instance is the appointment of a young woman of 21 years of age from Christchurch over all our own applicants. Experience, too, has proved that there is something in these pleas. We have had only a very small number of our own training fit for large responsibility. At the same time we have our inspector offering to place his pupil teachers against the pupil teachersof other Boards and outstepping them. These things show that the real difference between our pupil teachers and, those reared in Otago and Canterbury lies in the fact that the latter pass through a period of training in normal schools. They have their views widened and their skill enlarged, and so excel those not so trained. These facts have been familiar to me for a long period. Th« incident of the appointment to which I have referred brought these matters to a climax with .me. It led me to the conclusion that we should have a training institution of a moderate character, to which all our ex-pupil teachers should be brought for 12 months’ training before they were allowed to enter on any assistantship in a school.” Dr Sidey said he had conferred with the Inspector, who submitted three plans, of which he preferred the third, though it would be expensive. This was to make Napier “ side ” school, with pupils up to the fourth standard, “ a special training establishment under a headmaster and headmistress, with their assistants composed of ex'pupil teachers. The master and mistress would require to be persona of special fitness, and be d|rectfy under the Board without reference to a committee. “ The chairman gave notice to move at the next meeting of the Committee that this plan be recommended to the Board for adoption.