EXEMPTION OF TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 193, 4 May 1918, Page 6

EXEMPTION OF TEACHERS

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER.

Referring to the general question oi the exemption of teachers, the Minister ot Education.made a brief >tatenient yesterday. He said tbat Jol ad received several letters calling upon him as Minister to make application on behaltot teachers in the State schools, "lje portion is." said Mr. Hanan, "that neither 1 nor'the Education Department has any autiiorily to appeal for the m™Ption of public .school teachers. power is vested in the boards, leachws also hove a personal right to ap ; peal, but they hesitate to»;n;ike use ot it Several boards nave declared that they will not appeul for their teachers. On ths other hand, the controlling authorities oi 'denominational private schools are exercising their r-ght to appeal, and some of their teachers are beinj exempted by Military service Boards. CVrtain reforms are being vrged upon us, especiallv that (or the reduction of. the siz« of 'cla«es which tuich;rs nre to 'be'asked to control, and these reforms I «bould be very glad -to carry out, but if it is to be done an adequate supply or teachers is essential. The reduction of the -Mze of classes :s made . very d ffici.lt b'v the -function of the number of teacher? in the service . A trained teacher cannot be produced in a year or two- The standard of. tfficioncy m the national schools is goin. to l>o consider, ably affected hy the depletion of the teaching staffs."