Teachers At University Require Encouragement

Press, Volume C, Issue 29504, 4 May 1961, Page 7

Teachers At University Require Encouragement

Two hundred and eighty men entered the Christchurch Teachers’ College in the years 194" to 1950 inclusive. Their buhsequent performance makes a good case for greater encouragement of university studies. This is the conclusion of an honours candidate who made an investigation a decade later. These were some of the questions he asked:— What proportion took up university studies? Of those Who did, how many had graduated 10 years later? who did. how many had pare with other groups? How long did it take them to secure a degree? What was the incidence of failure? In

what subject and at what stages did this tend to occur? What proportion of full-time and extra-mural work was undertaken by the group? The findings show that by the end of 1958, 233 of the 280 men had enrolled for university courses and 73 had graduated '2O at master's level). Of the 160 graduates 44 had failed to pass a unit, 95 had passed one to five units, and 21 had passed six or more units. Of all units attempted by those who returned a questionary, 71 per cent, were passed. The pass rate for extra-mural students was 42 per cent. In 1958, 280 of the men were still teaching. “Remembering that in New Zealand less than half of those who enter the uni-

versities ever graduate, the graduation rate of the group of part-time students was surprisingly good,” the nivestigator reports to those who assisted. Expected gaduates in the next year should push their pass rate up to at least 35 per cent. However, in the whole group success at the university was associated with fulltime study. More than half of the graduates had the benefit of at least one year of full-time study—usually with very little bursary assistance. The investigator therefore recommends better facilities for full-time university study for a section of teachers’ college students. Detailed findings indicate that part-time study leads

to ill-balance in the proportion of science to arts graduates in the teaching profession. If part-time students in the primary service knew with certainty that they would be able to undertake advanced stages of their degree as full-time students, it is likely that diversification would take place as stage II and 111 levels. Part-time study . limits the range of subjects they can take, the report says. "Concessions granted to teachers for further university study are likely to result in very worthwhile benefits to the teaching service,’’ the report says. “A lesser university qualification would provide a useful goal for teachers unable to complete a degree course.”