UNIFIED CONTROL

Southland Times, Issue 21263, 9 December 1930, Page 6

UNIFIED CONTROL

EDUCATION SYSTEM GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH REPORT DEPUTATION OF TEACHERS (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, December 8. Various phases of educational problems were touclfed upon by a deputation of representatives of the New Zealand Federation of Teachers which waited upon the Minister of Education (the Hon. H. Atmore). General agreement with the report of the Education Committee was expressed. In reply, the Minister urged the importance ol unification of control. The chairman of the federation executive (Mr F. M. Renner) said that members were in agreement with the principle of terminating primary education at the age of 11 plus and with the extension of compulsoiy post primary education to the age of 15. They were in agreement with the institution of intermediate education, with certain reservation. Two of the bodies, the Technical School Teachers’ Association and the Secondary Schools’ Association considered that, while this intermediate education was necessary, the ideal type was the attachment of forms I and II and the junior technical forms to the existing schools. They were all heartily in accord with the principle of consolidation. With very little exception the scholarship reorganization was approved. Matters connected with the general administration were still questions that required to be thrashed out. The Minister: You mean unification of control? ‘ Mr Renner: The general administration difficulties that have been controlled. The Minister: I shall remain firm on that point as the ultimate solution of many difficulties. Mr T. L. Janies dealt with the question of the classification of teachers, particularly as it affected those men in technical schools who lacked academic qualifications. At the present time, most primary school teachers were certificated but there were a few technical school teachers who would be in an unfortunate position. This applied especially to those who had come in from the industrial and commercial world to take on teaching as a profession later on in life. The Minister, in referring to the point made by Mr James, said that he stronglybelieved in the proposal put forward. He knew- that there were men who were eminently qualified to give teaching but who could not show any certificate. These men must be judged on the fact that they were doing the work. Mr Renner: How far in the future may the federation hope to obtain a status similar to that of the Royal Society at Home? The Minister: I cannot see any reason against the suggestion. Yours is the greatest of all the professions. It must be so. It provides the training for all the others and I would go any distance that way which may be necessary. Mr Atmore went on to say that his contention was that there should be no secondary school without a certain amount of practical education. He wanted practical education to permeate every educational institution in the Dominion. There would be no “smothering” of technical education so far as he was concerned. He was still convinced that the proposal in the report for the, complete unification of control was a very sound one and that the objections were not based on consideration of the best interests of the child. If necessary, an appeal would be made to parents and to the committees. The committees were the creators of the boards and in the addresses, which he had given in different parts of the Dominion, he had found that wherever he had had direct touch with the committees, ho had received a unanimous vote of approval. He was quite satisfied that, if they had one controlling authority and one federated body of teachers, it would be very easy then to consider the progress of the child from the kindergarten to the university, where such extended education was necessary. In regard to the proposals in the report, the National Register proposed the payment of tho teacher instead of the position. He had gone as far as he could to help. He did not think that he was asking too much when he sought their co-operation. Broadly speaking, the proposals in the report made for the benefit, of the teacher, the child and the committee and the members of the new boards would occupy a much, more dignified position. Education boards to-day had no real pow-ers in regard to the things that counted. They had no control oyer appointments as all teachers were classified according to grading marks, which were allotted by an inspector and the appointments had to be made strictly in accordance with the grading list. The report proposed that there should be one teachers’ register for the whole teaching staffs and that, instead of the present system of grading, all teachers should be classified in three broad groups. The committee considered that the teachers should have a voice in the appointment of teachers and it was proposed to set up a National Appointments Committee, consisting of an independent chairman and representatives each of the teachers and the department and all appointments would be entrusted to the committee in question. There was no doubt that the report represented a tremendous advance. It was an attempt to benelit all concerned, not excepting the taxpayer, who would get 20/- of value for every £1 spent; which he was not getting to-day. A great deal of opposition was coming from the boards through a misunderstanding of the proposals.