SPECIAL APPEAL BOARD FOR SOLDIER TEACHERS

Chronicle (Levin), 9 August 1946, Page 2

SPECIAL APPEAL BOARD FOR SOLDIER TEACHERS

-Press Association

By Telegravh—

WELLINGTON, August S. tvegulat ious providing for tlie setting up of a Soldier Teachers' Grading Adjnstment Jioard to deal sjiecilically with ihe grading of soldier teachers, were gazetted tonighl. Coiumenl ing ou tliese, the acting-Min-ister o f Education, llon. A. 11. Nordmeyer, said grading is the most important malter for teachers as it detcrmines their place 011 Ihe grading Jist for appoiulment to liigher positions in the seriico. During ihe hcaring of a]ipeals by the ordnuiry Teachers' Grail ing Appeal Hoard in 1913, appeals wero recehed from teachers who wero ex servicemen who cJaimed that tlieir grading as teachers had been advcrscly atl'ecled bv service with the forees. I11 some cases the Doard t'elt some adjust menl shquld be made but it did not liave powcr lo make a full adjustment within the provisions of the ordinarv regnlaliotis. A eommittee representiug tlie Department and the New Zealand Educationa! Inslitute, eonsidered tlie matter and recommended that a special boanl be set up with power to go beyond the present regulations where it was shown there had been hardships as the rosult of service in Ihe forees. A11 oxample of such hardship is that teachers not in tlie forees oblained war appointinents and thus.gained moce rapid progress in grading whilo teachers in Ihe forees could not, of course, olitain such an advantage. I11 making proyisiou for this special board, the Governinent desires it to hear applicatious of soldier-teacliers botli in tlie primary and post -p ri mary services. The board will consist~ot "three members — tui independeiit chairnian appointed by tlie ilinister of Education, a representative of tlie Education Department and a representative of tlie teachers. Applicatious will not be treated as ordinarv appeals but tlie board will deal sympathetically with eases. The Government desires any hardsliip with respect to grading that any teacher may have suffered through military service, should be removed. This special provision is part of the undertaking given to teachers by the Mmister f Education, that they would be placed as closely at the stage in their

■ ■ ' 11 "■ ^ , j carecr, including a place on thc grading | list, that they would have reached if military service had not interveued.