GRADING SYSTEM JUSTIFIED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17354, 20 May 1924, Page 8

GRADING SYSTEM JUSTIFIED.

UNSOUNDNESS BANISHED. TRAINING COLLEGES PROGRESSING. Prk Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 20. Speaking at the Teachers’ Conferference, the Hon C. J. Parr (Minister of Education) said that he was keen to have the grading system made as efficient as possible, to answer the complaint that uniformity was lacking in the valuation of appraisement of teachers' qualifications. One way of meeting this was the transfer of inspectors from one district to another for the purpose of getting a truer valuation of the teachers’ work. There were not many appeals, and fewer still had succeeded in the secondary schools. There were only two appeals last year. He always maintained that the principle of promotion and appointment according to grading on efficiency was best. Regarding superannuation Mr Parr said that £25,000 had been added last year from Government funds to the Superannuation Fund and the fear of unsonndness in the position had been banished. The uncertificated teacher was giving way to the trained teacher from the training colleges. In some ways he was sorry for the uncertificated teachers, but there Avas no help for it. In 1919 there were 297 students in training colieges, to-dav there were 1257. Next year he looked for an output of from 600 to 706 trained and certificated teachers from the training colleges, and that he hoped would continue year bv year. The expenditure on training colleges bad increased by 400 per cent. The next work lie believed should he the establishment of training colleges in the country, away from the cities altogether.