TRAINING TEACHERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 594, 21 February 1929, Page 16

TRAINING TEACHERS

DIRECTOR’S SCHEME • OPPOSED NEW COLLEGE SUGGESTED The system of training secondary school teachers, which was proposed recently by Mr. T. B. Strong, Director of Education, is not favoured by the principals of the five Grammar Schools in Auckland. With the idea of giving wider practice in teaching methods, Air. Strong recently proposed that teacherstudents would be sent to observe and practice teaching in secondary schools under the supervision of selected teachers. The principals of the schools to which such student-teachers were sent should be responsible for the efficient training of the students. It was desired to inaugurate the scheme early this year. In reporting upon the scheme at the request of the Grammar Schools Board, the five principals said that the method suggested was educationally unsound and at variance with the practice adopted in other countries, in that there was no co-ordination between tlio teaching of theory and the practice. It would also impose a heavy additional burden on the principals and selected members of the staffs of schools in the four centres, which, because of the large numbers, restricted accommodation and consequent difficulties of organisation, were least able to bear the further strain. The principals felt that the time at their disposal for the supervision and direction of the junior members of the staff was already too little, and, consequently, any time given to the training of students would result in diminished efficiency of their own schools. The breaks in the continuity of the form teacher’s work were contrary to the best interests of the pupils and formed another objection to the scheme. They suggested as an alternative the establishment of a secondary training college, with an attached normal high school, so that practice might be coordinated with theory. This report will bc> forwarded to the Education Department.