PRIMARY AND HIGH SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 129, 18 February 1918, Page 6

PRIMARY AND HIGH SCHOOLS

APPOINTMENT OF TEACHERS

CONSIDERATION BY COUNCIL OF

EDUCATION

It has long been contended that in tlio interest of the co-ordination of the different parts of our education system—primary, secondary, and technical—and in order as far as possible to biidge the gaps between them, as well as in the interests of the teachers themselves, it is desirable that there should be a free exchange of teachers between the primary and high schools. If teachers in the high schools had exporienco in primary schools so as to gain a knowledge of the methods of instruction and of the standard of attainment, less would be heard of the break between tho two sets of schools, and pupils passing from one .school to the other would find themselves at less disadvantage, and there would be less loss of time in commencing their work in tho new atmosphere of the high schools. Similarly, if some of the teachers in primary schools had served for some time in secondary teaching thoy would have a knowledge of the preparation necessary for secondary work and of the difficulties due to the shortcomings of the instructioi given iii primary and could provide appropriate remedies. The Council of Education had this matter under discussion yesterday, but under present circumstances the remedy proposed by one member, viz., that this appointments of teachers of primary, technical, and secondary scnools should be made by tho same body, was not considered a satisfactory solution of the difficulty, and was not accepted by the council. It was felt to be inexpedient to give the appointment of teachers to one authority and the control of tho schools, the fixing of the nalaiies, and the drawing up of duties to another. It was pointed out that a scheme would bo unworkable under which the responsibility of appointment of teachers did not rest .with the board which paid and controlled those teachers. A remedy for the existing conditions is difficult to find, but a suggestion made, by one member is worthy of serious consideration. This involved tho abolition of education, secondary school, and technical school boards in their present form, and the placing of local control of all forms of education , / , except university, in each district ■under ono authority, and ihat authority should bo closely associated with the city and county councils or some local body having rating powers over large areas. If this were done, not only could the appointment of teachers to all tj pes of schools be centred in one body, but the same body could control tho schools in such a way as, by deciding tho courses of study in each, to remove much of the present overlapping, and could also oe made responsible for tho maintenance of buildings, partly out of local rates and partly out of Government subsidies, thus removing one of the greatest difficulties of dealing with applications for grants for buildings and of getting local boards to exercise proper care of" their buildings.

If half the cost of buildings were met out of local rates the cost would bo small, and tho total amount paid in rates and taxes by any individual would not be much greater than at present; but if any locality was anxious to improve and add to its schools it would not need to go cap in hand to the Government for the money, and each district would see that it got good value for its money, not only in buildings, but in other matters as well, e.g., if the advantages of the conveyance of children to largo, well taught, consolidated schools over the present system of maintaining many small, inefficient schools, were demonstrated, the people who pay for the buildings nnd conveyance would not be slow in adopting the better system. The whole subject was, however, felt to be too important, and involved too drastic changes for the council to deal with at the present meeting, probably the 'fist of the present council, and consideration was therefore held over.