N.Z. EDUCATION

Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1929, Page 6

N.Z. EDUCATION

NEED OE REFORM

[By Telegraph, Per Press Association

INVERCARGILL, April in

■Replying to the criticism of Mr John Stewart, df Marlborough College, Mr A. G. Butcher, of Invercargill, author of the pamphlet “ After Standard IV. What?” said that the first essential in a controversy upon educational reorganisation was the maintenance of a calm and a judicial attitude of mind. There was no necessity to become excited, or to talk in an undignified manner about “giving the lie direct ” to criticism that was offered in good faith and that was supported by the weight erf evidence of experts, such as Mr Frank Tate, of Victoria, in regard to Mr Stewart’s reported statement that it is not true that the secondary school teachers are untrained, Mr Butcher called, attention to the 1924 report of the Chief Inspector of Secondary Schools of New Zealand, which read: “The lack of training among the secondary school teachers has become almost a by-word.” Mr I* rank Tate, in his report to the New Zealand Education Department, in 1920, also said that: “A system of. training for the secondary teachers is urgent .y needed.” and also that “ New Zealand lias not developed any system of training its technical school teachers.” The Majority Report of the Syllabus Revision Committee in 1928 said that: “No proper provision exists tor the training of post-primary teachers.” In conclusion, Mr Butcher said that too little attention had been paid to M r E. Tate’s report, which was constructive, ns well as devastating in its critics and was both educationally and economically sound in its practical recommendations.