GRADING OF TEACHERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1920, Page 5

GRADING OF TEACHERS.

SYSTEM OF APPOINTMENT. QUESTION BY 'MR. MASTERS, M.P. Mr. R. Masters (M.P. for Stratford) last -week asked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the recent announcement that he intends to take away the power of discretion now poasessed and exercised by- various Education Boards in making appointments and promotions of teachers, and compelling each Board to make all such appointments strictly according to the grading list, which admittedly is not free from valid objections or generally regarded as ideal from.the point of view of merit and long and efficient service, lie realises that he will thereby be also taking away all the rights of School Committees in respect to such appointments, and that under this new compulsory restrictive proposal the fact of there being nine boards separately controlling and dealing with teachers in their respective districts means' that justice will not be assured to all daims of teachers as well as absolute Dominion promotion. . Mr. Parr replied: The grading of teachers in each district is made by the inspectors, who alone see the teachers actually at work and 'who are experts in the valuation of teachers' efficiency. Unless the hon. member can show that the Education Boards are better able to assess the relative efficiency of teachers than expert inspectors, he would have to confess than any departure from the judgment expressed by the inspectors could not be regarded as making for hotter appointments or being in the interests of the 'schools and of the teachers. It can now be indisputably proved that the standard of grading in'the nine different districts is reasonably uniform, so that the grading list would not only provide the fairest means of making appointments within a district, but also in making appointments from district to district, thuß opening up i the whole of the Dominion for promotion of teachers, instead of having this limited to one district as is generally the case at present. The practice of limiting promotion to teachers within each Board district only is quite opposed to ordinary justice, and, until such a system is abandoned in favor of a scheme for Dominion promotion in accordance with the grading list, neither the efficiency nor the coutentmerit of the teaching Bcrvice is likely to be assured. Contrary to the statement contained in the honorable member's question, the proposal to use a Dominion grading list for making appointments in all parts of the Dominion will justice to the claims of all teachers. It would be difficult for the honorable member to show any other means by which a Dominion promotion could be secured. Contrary to the - assumption made by the lion, member it will be found that, when the proposal is brought into operation, ample provision will be made for suiting to various positions teachers who have special qualifications required for those positions. With regard to the rights of School Committees in respect to appointments, I may state that the new proposal would not take away any of the privileges at present exercised by School Committees according to the Act.