The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1908. APPOINTING PUPIL TEACHERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 418, 1 August 1908, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1908. APPOINTING PUPIL TEACHERS.

At a meeting of the Carterton School Committee on Tuesday last, a discussion took place re the appointment of a pupil teacher. The Wellington Board submitted the names of candidates, and the committee were asked to select three. The committee did so, recommending that the first mentioned in their choice be appointed. The Board had sent a reply appointing the third mentioned on the list, giving as the reason that “under the circumstances the third name had been appointed. The first mentioned was young, and another two years’ schooling would fully qualify her for the position. The testimonials of the third seemed very good.” The action of the Board in flouting the committee was unanimously and strongly condemned, and the following resolution was carried ; “ That seeing that the Wellington Education Board had invited the Carterton school committee to nominate two or more names of persons qualified to fill the position in their school rendered vacant by the resignation of a pupil teacher, and that the said

Board had appointed the third name on the list, in direct opposition to the unanimous choice of the Carterton school committee, the Carterton school committee strongly protests against the action of the Board’s selection committee; urges that the Board carefully reviews the matter and respectfully requests that it be referred back to the Carterton school committee with the Board’s reasons for overruling the committee’s selection.” What the result will be we can’t say. The Wellington Board, however, adopt a more democratic if unperfect system, of appointing pupil teachers than obtains under the Wanganui Board, The method adopted by the latter Board is simply to dump a pupil teacher down and the committee are ignorant and perhaps the headmaster as well for all we know, of the qualifications of such teachers. A case in point happened at the local school this week. A pupil teacher resigned—the comraitte knew nothing of it —and the Chairman of the Committee received a formal letter on Thursday to the effect that a successor had been appointed. The committee are ignorant of the appointee’s qualifications. The whole system of appointment is rotten, and its about time the committee’s powers in this direction were enlarged. Our children are entitled to the services of the best teachers offering and committees should have the right to inspect the credentials of pupil teachers before they are dumped by the Board. We hope the local committee will make enquiries re the recent appointment at its next meeting. The Education Bill to be submitted this season has an important alteration relating to the question of the method ol appointing teachers. It is proposed that a committee, if it desires to express an opinion or make a recommendation with respect to an appointment, shall forward Us opinion or recommendation to the Board, and the Board “ must take it into consideration” before making the appointment. In making any appointment the Board must take into consideration the fitness for the vacant position of all teachers who have applied, and of all teachers in its own employ who have signified their desire for promotion or transfer.