THE TEACHING PROFESSION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1106, 20 April 1911, Page 8

THE TEACHING PROFESSION.

(By- Telegraph—Press Association.) Duncdin, April 19. At the meeting of the Education Board to-day, a memorandum to the following effect was presented by Chief Inspector Richardson:—Some young teachers in the board's service have passed examinations for certificates, but by the regulations controlling -the issue of certificates these teachers do not receive them (ill they are 21 years of age. Meanwhile, they are treated as uncertificated teachers, they cannot be permanently employed, they lose from 5 to 50. per cent, of their salary, and cannot become contributors to the Teachers' Superannuation Fund. The loss of salarj'is serious in itself, but tho effect of the last disability referred to is that they lose from one to two years of service, 'i'ho inspectors are of opinion that these teachers are suffering injustice, and they recommend the board to bring the facts under the notice of the Department. Tho recommendation was adopted.

The question of correspondence schools for uneertificated teachers was also reported on by Mr. Richardson, who pointed out that to provide tuition by correspondence for the forty-six unqualified teachers in the board's service would involve an outlay of .£3OO, and if provision was to be made for the tuition of the fifty-four partially-qualified teachers an additional sum of ,£l5O would bo involved, which sums were beyond tho resources of the board. Tho inspectors recommended that the board should bring the circumstances under the notice of the Department, and urge the necessity of making provision for assisting such teachers, either by establishing correspondence schoa'.s or bv making an allowance which would enable the board to establish them. It was decided that the board should place before tlio Education Department the urgent necessity of establishing a central school of correspondence for the assistance o£ uncertiflcated teachers throughout the Dominion, and that all other education boards be asked to urge the matter upon the-Department.