SHOULD TEACHERS ENLIST?

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2777, 22 May 1916, Page 6

SHOULD TEACHERS ENLIST?

VIEWS OF. HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS. Asked by. the Hon. J. A. Hanan as to his views on the depletion of the staffs of secondary schools as a' result of teachers volunteering for active service, llr. J. W. .Tibbs (principal of the Auckland Grammar School) stated at a' deputation to the Minister on Saturday that at a Tecent send-oif to one of his masters he spoke strongly to' the remainder of the staif on the matter. He made the adapted quotation, "Th-ey also serve who only stay and teach." He considered they were serving the country by teaching the young and not going. Personally he should feel glad if the authorities refused to accept the services of secondary sc'hool masters in the moantime. Recently ho had had 'to bring back to school work men who had left for work which t'bey were better suited for. Mr. Morrell (principal of the Otago Boys' High School), in referring to tho same matter, said that personally he could not too strongly endorse the remarks of Mr. Tibbs. The prime necessity of Imperial safety must come first. He recognised that the war must be won, and that was tho first consideration. The boys and girls now at school would liavo, to take the place of those who had unfortunately fallen. He did not think they would be conserving the interests of the country if they allowed the standard of education to deteriorate. Lord Kitchener, in answer to a correspondent some months ago, expressed his opinion on tho question of whether masters in English secondary schools should join the colours.- He said, "All should come who could be spared from their schools." Quite recently ho made another pronouncement to the same effect. If only for the purpose of maintaining tho efficiency of tho military training of the boys and seeing that in two or three years hence the secondary pupils arc fit to enter upon work in Defence Corps if called upon, even to servo as officers and non-coms.,. tho efficiency of tlie Cadet Corps should be maintained. This was bis [>orsonal view and not tho official view of Conference. Tho Minister offered no comment.