TEACHERS & SCHOOLS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 April 1924, Page 4

TEACHERS & SCHOOLS.

TOO .MUCH INTER KEREN CF

WELLINGTON, April 7

At a conference between -Mr 'l'. -M. IVilford. Leader of the Opposition, and members of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand educational Institute to-night, Mr Willonl said that, speaking, generally, there was too much interference with teachers and schools by the Education Department, hi liis ooiiiion, if we had a good teacher wo should let him or her alone, and if wo had a bail teacher he or she should he found out hy tlit* inspector and fired, just as a useless inspector or useless Minister should lie fired. He considered that the desire to pass regulations became a disease, and. unfortunately, when it broke out in one it seemed to be contagious and to infect, others. As to the recent regulations about which so much was being said, lie invited teachers to study the Education Act and find out, d they could, the clause under which they were issued. There were too many regulations. Hie country was governed hy regulations and Orders-in-t'ouneil, and he did not wonder that teachers rebelled against the mass of regulations issued recently. Hut it was not the regulations that they were most concerned about; that was only the last straw. I heir grievances were much more deep-seat-ed than regulations, and if the regulations wore brushed away they would still have trouble. Then while these meetings of protest were being held to protest against regulations which teachers felt to be irksome and which .he, as a lawyer, found almost impos.sible of interpretation, they should not forget the deeper grievances. The recent statement by the Minister with vgeard to promotions seemed to bo intended to urge inspectors to do their duty in the matter, but bow could the Minister say that there was difficulty in regard to promotions when thev bad the wholesale promotions oF 15:21 and 15)22? Either these promotions were not justified or the statement. of the Minister was not justified.

Sonic of the recent promotions inside, sled sired Mr Wilford, were ns absurd as the "consultations” between School Committees sind Education Hoards on the appointment of teachers. and lie knew of nothing more absurd than that before these interferences and harasssnents in the way of regulations. In 1914 what sort of team did the country turn out for the war? They were splendid fellows, recognised ns such and as gentlemen wherever they went, and it was a slander, in his opinion, that had no right to exist to charge teachers with inefficiency when they had turned out such hoys. AVe had turned out iu this country the finest lot of hoys the world had ever produced, and the teachers deserved the credit of it. That was the answer to all this interference. Those boys were measured by the standard of the world’s greatest, and they never failed. (Applause).