TEACHERS AS CLERKS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1736, 29 April 1913, Page 4

TEACHERS AS CLERKS.

A HEADMASTER'S PROTEST.

' As is so often tlio ease, wo iustituto reforms without adequately considering tho machinery for carrying them out," commented Mr. Geo. : Flux, \ headmaster of South Wellington School, in his report to tho householders at tlio annufil meeting last evening, apropos of the new system of medical ' inspection in schools,, "For oxample," ho said, "head teachers aro asked each year to examine tho children. to weigh them, to measure' liletaL tfl, test their'sight, etc., and to' register tlio results on certain cards, which operation, for each child will- "take at least twenty minutes. This would' mean, in tho case of a. largo'school liko this, fully eleven weeks, if every minuto of these weeks were so employed. 'What is to happen to tlio rest of my work during that time? When it is remembered that tho medical inspector, who visited tho school at tho end of last year, with tho aid of two' assistants, examined on an average only thirty pupit9 per day, it will bo seen what a formidable task this ono thing alono is. It is important work, aml I am suro teachers wish io loyally co-operate in the doing of it, but they do desire that tho conditions shall be known. They do not wish to become; as tliey liavo already largely become, mero -registering agents. A good deal of n head teacher's timo is now occupied in work which could quito well be done by a junior at 255. or 30s. a week, and meanwhilo the general supervision has to suffer.

"Why," asked the speaker, "should the most expensively-paid teacher, and, presumably, tho most experienced, engaged in mere clerical work? I submit, then, that tho ,tinio has arrived when tho licad teachers of all the larger schools should be provided with a supernumerary, whose duty it should bo to carry out all tho purely mcclmnieal and clerical work in conncction with medical inspection, and the general work of tho school, and thus to set tlio head teacher free to do his legitimate work of supervision. It is beside tho mark to say that all -this kind of work should bo dono out of school hours. A good deal is so dono already, but mucli of it must ho dono in school hours. Such a supernumerary, if a professional teacher, could bo utilised in taking tho classed of teachers temporarily absent 011 sick leave, and so obviate tho necessity .for relieving teachers in these largo schools."