TEACHERS OF MUSIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 52, 24 May 1927, Page 15

TEACHERS OF MUSIC

REGISTRATION URGED DEPUTATION TO MINISTER (From Our Resident Correspondent.') WELLINGTON, To-day. Music teaching has been described as the Cinderella of the professions in New Zealand, so far as teaching qualifications are concerned. A deputation from the Professional Society of Musicians asked the Hon. R. A. Wright’s approval of the Registrations Bill, which has been asked for for many years. Mr. Robert Park, President of the Dominion Society, said the society had been misunderstood. They did not want to take bread from other people’s mouths, but to raise the standard of music-teaching in the Dominion. It was not hoped to reach the English standard for many years; but there was room for a great deal of improvement here to-day in the provisions of the Bill, none would be excluded and the action was not made retrospective; but the standard of qualifications for a teacher would be raised gradually as the council provided for in the Bill thought fit. Mr. Wright: But your Bill goes further than that. Mr. E. C. Cachemaille: As time goes on the Governor-General has power to raise the standard, but the Council has not. Mr. Parker; It is a criminal offence in Vienna to practice without registration. Mr. Cachemaille said they wanted to get the Bill through to avoid interference from certain unnamed influences. Mr. Wright: What influence? Mr. Cachemaille: Financial interests which are working in Australia against such a Bill as this. New Zealand is quite a happy hunting-ground for them. Miss Corless saw in the Bill a solution of the teachers’ problems. At present, teachers were reaching for something which was only dimly in their minds. This would show them the course to pursue. Mr. Wright said they could not hope to make non-registration a criminal offence. It was a wonder to him that parents did not select only well-known teachers. He promised to bring the Bill before Cabinet, and advocate its passage: but he could not promise Cabinet’s authority to take it to the House.