EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 786, 5 October 1929, Page 12

EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS

VARIOUS ASPECTS DISCUSSED EXCHANGE OF TEACHERS Press A.ssodation WELLINGTON. Friday. Various aspects of educational affairs were discussed during the debate on the Estimates today. Mr. A. Hamilton (Wallace p asked whether anything further was being done in relation to the exchange of teachers with the Old Country. He said he knew some teachers who were very keen to visit Great Britain on transfer. Other members referred to the question of primary school headmasters, whereupon Mr. Atmore repeated that both he and the Prime Minister were favourable toward an increase in headmasters’ pay, and that the whole difficulty was a matter of finance. Mr. J. A. Nash (Palmerston)Will you leave no stone unturned? Mr. Atmore said that he would certainly do his best in the matter. Replying to further questions the Minister stated that the system of physical training of school teachers was being continued. A supply of free books to school children had been suggested by the Leader of the Labour Party and the matter would be placed before Cabinet. Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) expressed alarm at the number of children transferred from the care of parents to the care of the State. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) declared that child welfare work was extremely Important, and very good results had been achieved by removing children from the care of parents, who had shown no sense of responsibility toward them. Mr. R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) also commended the department’s activities in this direction. Replying to Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Atmore stated that Great Britain exchanged only six teachers with New Zealand in any one year. If the teachers Mr. Hamilton had mentioned sent in their names they would be placed on the list of applicants for exchange. The department had to await applications from Canada for teachers for that Dominion. Mr. Nash's amendment calling for a reduction of £lO in the vote, on the ground that there had been no increase in head teachers’ salaries, was put, but the mover did not call for a division. The vote was then passed.