TEACHERS' RAILWAY PASSES

Taranaki Daily News, 26 May 1920, Page 5

TEACHERS' RAILWAY PASSES

SHOULD BE CUT OUT. MINISTER'S*EMPHATIC OPINION. (From Our Special Reporter.) Hawera, .Last Night- , "The. only way to cure the present anomaly is to cut out free railway passes for teachers altogether," stated the .Hon C. J. Parr, Minister of Education, to a Daily News reporter to-day, when discussing the question of free passes for teachers. The Minister is very strongly of the opinion that no special privileges should be allowed to teachers of certain private schools, which are not enjoyed by primary school teachers. "At the present time," remarked the Minister, "some private school teachers are allowed freejpasses to enable them to travel on the*ailways, and the. State teachers naturally object to this concession, and ask that they should receive the same privilege. There are two ways of dealing with this anomaly. One is to cut out free passes on the railways for teachers altogether, and the other is to give all teachers—aiiout 40(H) in number —the right to the privilege. Obviously to give all teachers free travelling rights would involve the country in a large and uncertain liability.

"Such a course, although it has been suggested to me, is quite impracticable," added the Minister. "If such'a privilege was given wholesale, applications would pour in from teachers who prefer to live in the large centres and travel daily to and from their schools. Such a stop as that cannot be considered, if for no other reason than that it is desirable that teachers should live near their schools amongst their pupils, and so exert a useful social and educational influence in the district."