TRAINING TEACHERS

Southland Times, Issue 20203, 14 June 1927, Page 7

TRAINING TEACHERS

PROPOSAL FOR LOANS TO STUDENTS. SCHEME NOT FAVOURED BY OTAGO BOARD. (Per United Press Association.) Dunedin, June 13. A special meeting of the Education Board gave final consideration to the new scheme proposed by the Education Department to assist young persons to secure training as teachers and came to the following conclusions. (1) In the absence of information upon material points the board cannot endorse the scheme. Definite information should be furnished in regard to (a) present loss incurred through non-fulfilment or non-en-forcement of the bond; (b) possible saving under the proposed scheme; (c) method of securing repayment of loan in tffe event of student defaulting. (2) The board is of the opinion that the scheme would involve certain risks such as (a) the placing of obstacles in the way of getting the best boys and girls to enter the profession; (b) differentiation in salary between those who receive loans and those who do not may lead to difficulties; (c) difficulty in providing immediate work for all students upon completion of their probationary assistantships. Any agreement entered into for repayment should necessarily entail responsibility upon the department of providing means of repaying. (3) The board emphatically holds that the scheme should not apply to probationers already in the service. These young people entered the existing conditions and to depart from those conditions would be a distinct breach of contract. (4) The board views with disfavour the element of class distinction which is introduced by reason of the fact that some students will require to take a loan and some will not. A reply embodying the board’s conclusions has been forwarded to the Department of Education. >