THE TEACHING CRAZE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3121, 16 July 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE TEACHING CRAZE.

TO TUB KlJl'tOH. Sin,—Tharo is ev«ry appearance that, we I are going to have too many school teachers. 'Last week, in Ifamilton, there were thirtythroe candidates f:<r examination to pass as pupil or assistant teachers. These :>,S candidates, wa may suppose, belonged to the Upper Waikato district. In the whole province of Aucklanil there may have heen Itnore or less) 200 candidates. In this Upper Waikato distiict I. IJO not suppose that there are more than -"3 schools, i.o provide these HIS teachers (who are to be), it would n-cessitate that the while of the present teachers would have to die or hecome infirm in one ye'ir, and unabie to teach. This is not likely to be. Io say that three out of the S3 will, hy natural causes, be unable to teach, would be nearer the mark. This would le.ipiire only three, and not ICi, to fill up the vacancies. I ask

the. Board of Education, and more especially do I ask the pirants :>f these candidates : What is to become of the remaining thirty ? Perhaps it is that in the past there have not been a superfluity of teachers, but I would remind the Board of Education, and also the parents of these candidates, that all the past evil in New /-'-aland lias arisen from what was at first not an evil, but had bccome an evil from being; overdone. This desire of parents to have their children bocome teachers has now beenrno an evil from being overdone. Anyone with only half an eye can easily son that there cannot be vacancies for the 200 (more or less) candidates who were last week examined. Mr Editor, perhaps the Board of Education may think I am cheeky, if I dare to differ from them on a vital part of their procedure. At the risk of being thought impertinent by that body, I tell them that they are completely and cruelly wrong. Every candidate, before his examination to pass as a future teacher, lias to be examined by a medical man as to the state of his health. If the doctor passes him as being sound in mind and limb, and is. in all respects, in perfect health, the Board accepts the candidate, and allows him to try and pass as a teacher. I would reverse this completely and entirely. Those who are in perfect health I would refuse to have as teachers. I would relegate thoso fortunate youths to their proper places. I would say to them, go to what you are fitted for, and what is fitted for you—that is. go and be ploughmen and dairy maids. While to those who did not pass the doctor I would Kiy, couie and be teachers and fill what you are fitted for, and what is fitted for you. I think that those who did not pass the doctor | would be the sufficient number who would be required to fill up the vacancies which would occur by natural laws. It will perhaps bo said that the pupils' teaching would suffer from this. This I deny, for every argument that could be shown in favour of that contention I could bring a stonger argument in favour thar, the sickly teacher would be the best teacher. One I may give and that is, that it is mind and not body that is required by a successful teacher. I could say more, but my letter is going to be long enough without going further into the matter. One thing I would ask the Board of Education to do, I would ask them through their secretary to tell me and your readers what is to become of the unfortunate youths who through bad health they have rejected as t6achers? No doubt their secretary may give me and your readers some hard dry matter of fact and worldly wisdom such as the "uurvivalof the fittest," and that in • these matter of fact days, " the race is i for the strong," but I would tell the Board ■ and their secretary that that dictum has no

philanthropy in it, aud that an ounce of philanthropy is better than a tun of hard dry worldly matter of facts. Mr Editor, before I conclude, let me Rive a warning to those parents who have a desire to have their sons and daughters to he teachers. In my farmer letter on the subject of over education, I endeavoured to the best of my poor ability to Rive a broad sense_ to my views. I think to be effective I will have

to appeal to those parents in a narrow sense, by narrow I mean what will affect the pockets of the future teachers. After close and mature thought, I have arrived at the conclusion, that before ten yearn a bullock puncher's wages and a teacher's salary as regards the sum will be equal in money, that is, the bullock puncher will receive as much as the teacher and the teacher will receive no more than the bullock puncher. No doubt the future teacher and their parents will say I am cracked and a shingle short by saying so. However, I would tell these that T am not so far gone as co make an assertion without being able to give solid grounds for euch assertion. In the past teachers had justice on their part when they said that teachers ought to be better remunerated than a working man. Now, they have not justice on their part when they say so. In the past a teacher had to pay for his own education and he was a man as regards age before he earned any salary. It now is quite the reverse for the teacher is educated at the expense of the State, and when still a boy he is a pupil teacher receiving more than a labouring man. In fact there could be argument brought forth to show that tho labouring man by all rules of justice should have the most remuneration, however, at present I am not quite prepared to say he should have more, to be a strong partisan one must not see both sides, he can only be so by seeing one side. I will be glad if any of your readers have any enlightenment to give me on the subject.—l am, etc., HUnAPHPE.