SCHOOL TEACHERS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 18 July 1924, Page 5

SCHOOL TEACHERS.

To the Editor. 1 Sir.—l beg to make my humble protest against your leader of Wednesday’s issue re State school teachers. I . consider your attack most cruel and . unwarranted. Most children are happy . school and pine in the holidays. The ttpjoritv like strict, discipline and <lerpise the soft teacher. The education -of this rising generation is marvellous and shows up th e lamentable ignorance and ungrammatical speech of the past generation. The teachers as a class are martyrs, giving their lives to the education of other people’s children and finding themselves at last old and grey .and poor. They are conscientiously instilling into the minds of the children noble ideals, and by their lives providing a glorious example. While the general public is enjoying itself and providing for its future, the school tea- • cher is spending golden hours doing his • duty, and finds when he retires holy poverty as his burden to bear. Everybody knows only second-rate people become teachers. ' If they are anybody

they study for doctors, lawyers, ministers or officers In the navy, etc. Even

.among second : 'rate people you find some who become famous. It would be inadvisable for anyone to think that the rteachers don’t know their business. 'They have made it a fine art and conaider kindness wasted on children. I heard a training college student with a IR, certificate say so tile other day. Wait new inspector comes along. You %v7il know what autocracy is then. Thanking you in anticipation.—l am, •etc., PULL MARKS FOR SERVICE. .((Evidently our pedagogue friend has very carelessly perused the leader compla inod b t. It is ‘ ‘ unwarranted ’ ’ / to construe into an attack a request for improvement. We asked for the elimination of the unfit, and will •continue to do so in the interests of - the rising generation.—Ed. W.D.T.)