THE REGISTRATION OF MUSIC TEACHERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 60, 2 June 1927, Page 8

THE REGISTRATION OF MUSIC TEACHERS

Sir, There has been a certain section of the teaching profession agitating for some time now about getting this question passed by Cabinet and made law, thereby taking away all or part of many a person’s livelihood on the one hand and putting extra in the pockets of the then few remaining so called “professional” teachers. There is many a person whose income derived from another source is not sufficient to live on without being augmented by the fees earned from musical tuition, and yet who could not be registered, although perhaps more able and competent to teach than some of those who were or who had passed exams. . I know of several instances where this applies. Of course the remedy is in the hands of those desiring to be taught—they surely have enough common sense to know whether they are getting full value for their

money and are quite at liberty to change their teacher if not satisfied. If this registration becomes law then a scale of fees should also be laid down. At the present time I believe fees as charged in Auckland range anywhere from one to six guineas a term, according to the value the teachers put on their respective services, and I have heard of cases where pupils have become dissatisfied with results obtained from the higherpriced “professional” teachers and derived more benefit from those teaching in a “semi-professional” way, and charging a smaller fee —the latter having the advantage in being able to impart the required knowledge in a more competent manner—there again the remedy was in the hands of these pupils. Another drawback is that quite a lot of people will not be able to have lessons at all because they could never afford to pay the higher charges of the “professional” teachers. Last, but not least, I do not think New Zealanders wish to be different from those in other countries, where people who are musically inclined are perfectly free, without any restrictions whatsoever, to give musical instruction. “LIVE AND LET LIVE.”