TEACHERS’ APPOINTMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1924, Page 2

TEACHERS’ APPOINTMENT

MORE FREEDOM. URGED FOR COMMITTEES.

CHRISTCHURCH, February 23. “I believe that school committees should, within certain limits, have more freedom in the appointment of their teachers,” said -Mr 11. C. Lane, retiring secretary of tile Ceanterbury Education Board, at a farewell social tendered him by the Canterbury School Committees’ Association last night. Mr Lane said that the matters which Ha- school committees took most to heart were the incidental fund, and the question of the appointment of teachers. The burning question, however. was the appointment of teachers.

“The remarks I make, you understand, have ni political significance.” he said. It was well known that the school committees were opposed, and rightly so, to the present system of appointing teachers. It. was only bust that committees should have something to say in reference to the appointment of the teachers who were to guide their children. The Education Board had issued a circular letter to the committees in which it stated its opinion about the present system, and it would lie found that it agreed materially with that of the committees The Board had endeavoured to get a slight modification made in the grading system which would allow for a choice between three of the candidates if they had no more than five marks between them, but even this small concession was not allowed. “By the denial of that,” said Mr Lane, “the Department risked losing the support of the committees and parents. ITe was quite satisfied that no person or body could so accurately determine the quality of one of five thousand teachers so as to make a .grading scheme workable.” During his holidays in England he promised the committeemen to inquire into the system of appointments used there.

With reference to the incidental fund ho said that the Department had now increased the grants to committees and the system of subsidising outside revenue had eased the position.