School Teachers And Their Training

Chronicle (Levin), 8 December 1948, Page 2

School Teachers And Their Training

WELLINGTON, De\ 7. Tlie setting up of a consultative eominittee 011 teacher _ training, ^ was announced bv the Minister of Education, Mr. McCombs, when addressing students at tlie final assembly today oi the Wellington Teachers' Training College. The Minister said the com1 mittee would be composed of people j with a knowledge of teaching and teaching conditions and he lioped shortly to announce the person nel. The committee would be charged with the task of inquiring into present teacher training methods. and how thev "eould be impioved. .lle was not altogether satislied vvith present methods aml if anything eould be uone to make them more attractive, t it vvoukl be done. Next year students at the College inight be able to make some hclpful suggestions to the eominittee. bealing with teacher shortage, the Minister said that by 1952, primary schools would have lo cater for 30 pc r cent. more children than last year. Infant enrolments would be 50 per cent. 11 p 011 last year. This meant that the nuiubers of teachers and, classrooms at' schools would have to be increased by 30 per cent. Two ihousand more classrooms would have to be built by Education Boards. j 1 11 the past the Education Department had reckoned 011 teaching 60 children for everv 100 liouses in a dis: trict. "liecentiy we sent ofiicors round 1000 liouses in the llutt X'alley to see wliat was coiuing. Tliev found tlierc would be from 120 to 150 children for every 100 liouses," the iy.inisl.er added.