PITTANCES OF PUPIL TEACHERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 676, 29 November 1909, Page 7

PITTANCES OF PUPIL TEACHERS.

A STRANGE POSITION. (By TclcKfuyb.—Prow /lesocUlton.i •; ; i ■ ' Duncdin," November 27; i,':, ■A vory interesting discussion nroso at- tlio; ,',, . Education: 'Board l meeting > regarding the.' posi- S '■& boil' of■' teachers - undergoing tho two years*, course at 1 tho Teachers' framing College., „ A t v pupil teacher at. -. tho college is allowed an'aniiual' alloivance of'X3Q:if- a resident." of. I)\ini!,'iV':; odiri, and .COO if ho or ,she , has to .live away, from home.:: The' college' is open nine'months.:' of: tho year,';and the reimiiiiing. three, accord- j );J; ing to. the general, interpretation .of., the regulations, is' at .tho:disposaliof ! studehti. : con-5.-o.'; ..cerrieil.;' Pupil teachers _froni; both> the; South-/J land and Otago Educations Boards attend ~tlio:v?'?s; college, and during tlio, vacation in January , and;;Fobi-uary. the'.majority;of..them 1 take em-'SV- I ',' ploymont as pupil teachers in larger schools,:-.' In tho past, while Ihe Orngp Boaid has 10gardci} this duty on tho part of pupil. tfaciiergj--' : .'; as in a sense.obligatory,.ai|d,lias,paid them';*:'; nothing,for tlieir services beyond tile.buvsary provided, on account of : , tho training college, tho Southland: Board has paid its .relieving ■ pupil teachers tho full am'ouut'allowed by' the".' '•' ■ regulations to pupil leaches, in addition to college allowance, , It would, npiiear that' . Education, Department'iha? just discovered ;'; latter fact,' and a • letter - was reiid'at to-dayV; • = meeting, ir/ which.tho Department stated (hati > the Southland pupil teaohors would have to re- : fund tho/whole amount paid tlietn: on account ■ ' of tlio training-college ivliile thcy. wero receive , in? salary from the Southland Board. .k.ii-; : The btmrd ■ to-diiy, w:ent thoroiighly iintpVtHol-v.' whole ppsition f .,; and, ivhile . condeni'ning In a. ; - very thorough liiann'ev its :; treatment;, of -'- training college students in tho past, expressed tinhoUn(}od indignntion": at . the .unfair ,restrict tions proposed- tp b« placed Mpon. thoso youni , I opchers. by ' the pepartment'.: It is - .contendeS; ■ i that' studpnts \rlule tho college is: not in ses- - sioii; have o'very right to seek to increase their allowance' by doing toachuic work wheu sncli ' : offers, and it is held that tho allowance made to studopts. is an annual allowance, and is !. not a ipqntlily payment, as Hio .Dopnrtinfljit's -' r action would suggest. The board is taking legal advice as to its, position and the of tho stndents,