SCHOOL TEACHERS AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5291, 11 March 1878, Page 2

SCHOOL TEACHERS AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND TIJIE3. ,SIR, —Considerable attention has been drawn lately to a letter sent by the Secretary of the Teachers’ Association to the Chairman of the Board of Education re the appointment, &c, f of teachers, and some have sympathised with the association over the so-called .“snub” that letter 1 received at the, hands' of the Board. Now, sir, a letter to any public department, to receive due attention, should, bear, truth and. honesty on the face of it. ' Dealina with the letter in question, the Ist clause runs thus—- “ That this meeting respectfully suggests to the Board the .justice and .sound policy of' stringently adhering to the promotion and classification of teachers on the bases of length of service and literary and professional ability.” As far as practicable this is done. I know of. instances of teachers having, come from the other colonies with papers of the highest qualifications, both public and private, showing that they have for many years done good work as teachers, and passed examinations as high as what we have to pass in New Zealand, yet these have not been recognised, and they have been compelled by Mr. Lee to face the lowest class before attempting the i higher. What more does the association require ?. The second part of the letter says—“ That the practice recently adopted of appointing strangers, or comparative strangers, l to important'lucrative posts, is viewed, with considerable apprehension by the Whole . teaching staff,” &o. In this matter , I suppose Mr. Lee, that dread factotum, is the best judge of the material he has to work with, and if be has not sufficient taleut at home, he.must look for it elsewhere. As to the “ whole” teaching staiff looking upon it with apprehension, I, as one, do not. and all with whom I have consulted agree with me. Here at least is an exaggeration. In conclusion, I suppose the best posts are in Wellington itself, and setting aside Messrs. Holme* and Mowbray, I do not see upon what ground the other teachers claim their positions. Some three years, since, one of them, who now only holds a “ third-class” certificate, had charge of a small school somewhere in the Australian colonies. He cannot, therefore, lay, claim to long service and literary ability. Several others connected with the association might he mentioned; but enough to say that the members of that august, body would do well to look at home before they find fault with the. action of the Board, and instead of manufacturing grievances, do .all in their power to advance the “ educational status” of our land, even at_ the cost of bringing well-trained teachers 1 from Australia; and'assist the Board to the utmost to build up tour 'national system of education.—l am, &c., • I r ,1A Teaches.-