GRADING OF TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2414, 20 March 1915, Page 8

GRADING OF TEACHERS

BASED ON EFFICIENCY. An interesting discussion took place at the meeting of the Wellington District Institute last night on the motion standing in tho name of Miss Bright: "That in a system of grading based on efficiency and service, there can be only one graded list of all teachers." The mover contended that while there might be advantages in having two lists, ono for men and one for women teachers, if there was to -be a system of grading based on efficiency and service there could be only one list. ■ , Miss Myers held that the principle had already been affirmed that merit, and merit alone, should count in the grading, and it had been a surprise to her to find in the evidence of the president of the New Zealand Education Institute before the Parliamentary Education Committee, a personal favouring of the two-scheme principle. Mr. A. M'Kenzie proposed that they should adjourn the matter till they could get more necessary information. If tlio resolution meant a promotion scheme for the teachers of the Dominion it should be carefully considered. Mr. B. T. Blake seconded the amendment, and said that if it meant that women were to enter into open competition for tile headmastersliip of boys' schools, and men for the position of headmasters of girls' schools, then let it be carried—(laughter)—but in that case there were several features of the schemes to bo considered. . The chairman, in reply to a question, said that there was nothing officially before the institute in,regard to a grading scheme. Mr. Parkinson said that the motion virtually reaffirmed a principle that had been supported from time to time. On the casting vote of the chairman the amendment was lost, and the motion was altered in its wording to reaffirm the principle laid down by the institute. After a- brief further debate tho motion was lost bv 34 votes to 32.