PUPIL TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 126, 14 February 1918, Page 3

PUPIL TEACHERS

INCREASE OF PAY FAVOURED "SYSTEM SHOULD BE ABOLISHED" The Council of Education_ discussed yesterday. the pupil-teacher system, and passed motions that the pay and allowances of pupil teachers and training college students should he increased, and that as soon 'is teachers are available the provisions in the Education Act for the abolition of the pupil-teacher system and the stalling of schools by adult teachers only should be put into effect. It was pointed out that at the present time pupil teachers are paid less than cadets in the various Government Departments. The pay for a pupil teacher living away from home, having a Tublie Service entrance qualification on appointment, for the five years of training, is £60 for the first year and £65 for each of the four subsequent years, while that of a clerical cadet in a publicrDepartment under similar circumstances is for the five years respectively £78, £88, £98, £108, £110 ami that of a professional cadet is £88, £98, £108, £120, and £140, the latter thus receiving on tiio average nearly double the pay of the pupil teacher. There is undoubtedly a shortage of young men offering for entrance to the teaching profession. For example, one hoard that had 50 positions to /ill recently could obtain only two qualified male applicants. One member of the council pointed out that very frequently young men, after accepting appointment as pupil teachers and serving for one or two years, resign in order to take up other work such an law, commerce, or medicine, < and consequently the. teaching profession is the poorer. The general opinion was that although it would cost £20,000 or £30,000 additional annually to rcake the teaching profession more attractive, the expenditure would be warranted in the interests of the future work of education in New Zealand. ;

The whole question of the pupilteacher system was also discussed, and it was agreed that as soon as possible the system should he abolished as a means of lecruiting young teachers. The pupil teacher is too inexperienced to bo of value as a teaching unit in our schools, and in the interests of the pupils and of the pupil teachers themselves it Would bo much preferable to staff the schools fully with adult teachers. 'Die teaching would be more effective, and as a probationer, who devotes little more than half his time to teaching and then never in charge of a class, the young teacher would have more time for his own studies and. preparation for his work. One result of the pupil-teacher system at the present time is that assistants have necessarily to take charge of very large classes, and <hat' if the pupil teachers were replaced by adults, as is provided for in the Act, the difficulty of organising our large schools would be overcome and the extra heavy work and strain placed on some teachers would bo removed. This cannot be done at present because the number of teachers offering is insufficient, but it is expected that after the war conditions in this respect will improve, more especially if the salaries of young teachers are increased.