TEACHERS' CERTIFICATES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2868, 5 September 1916, Page 4

TEACHERS' CERTIFICATES

. . * REGULATIONS TO BE AMENDED. With the view of encouraging uncertificated teachers to qualify for their certificates and .of simplifying the method of determining tho results, the Minister of Education has approved of amendments in the regulations for the Teachers' D Certificate Examination which have heeu made. Tho examination 1 subjeots; arc fifteen in number, and aro divided into four groups. Hitherto a candidate has had to gain a pass in one group and a partial pass in another before gaining any credit in the examination, and having passed in one group he could not receive credit for the partial pass in more than ono other group. These conditions have been found to work rather unfairly, and have made the examination somewhat difficult for the backblock teacher who has not had the advantage of a secondary. Bchool education. It has accordingly been decided to allow a candidato to take one or mors of the four groups at a time and to have placed to his credit at one examination a pass iif one group or partial passes in two groups or a partial pass in a second group after gaining a pass in one group. Under the new arrangement a candidate may sit for a different part of tho examination in each of four successive years, and by passing in a group each year may com- / plete his nas s in that time if he so chooses. Indeed, if partial passes are considered as successes, he may take as long as seven years over the examination, gaining some credit each year. It is hoped that these' concessions will induce many teachers who have hitherto held back to make an attempt to obtain a certificate. With the training classes, summer schools, and correspondence courses organised liv education boards for the assistance of uncertificated teachers out of funds provided by tho Government, and the easier pass conditions now issued; there should ho little excuse for_the teacher < who makes no effort to improve Ms status.