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Press, Volume LV, Issue 16424, 18 January 1919, Page 11

The r/ligbt of thf average school teacher* must be a very miserable one at the present time judging by remarks made by speakers at tiie -Sou- Zealand Educational Institnte T i> Conference at, Wellington tliis week. Mr H. F. Penlington said that if any voting men came to him and asked advice as to whether bo should enter tho teaching profession he would reply that, if he must go into the profession then ho would have to utter to him the words used by Cardinal \Volsfy to Cromwell, "Fling away ambition.'' a - s tbere anything that would kill ambition more quickly than the teaching profession as at present administered' He had in mintl a young man who had taken up a teaching position »onte eleven years ago. T'hi- young man had of ambition and heap*- of ability. He /iad given cvcr» satisfaction in his work, but in spite of many applications lie was still in the position. Another man with a quarter of a century's work behind him received .iust enough pay to allow Ss lOd a week cash tor hi* wife, the members of bis family, ana himself. "T have in mind a'so a normal vounj* added Pcnlin£ton. "She is merely waiting in the profession now nnti] that time when »he hopes to meet her affinity. She will wait no longer, for she has an absolute horror of the thought of etill a teacher when she is 40 years of a^.