BACK-BLOCK SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1921, Page 4

BACK-BLOCK SCHOOLS.

Apparently departmental zeal for effecting financial economy has induced the Education Department to propose a “cut” that would inevitably nullify the good work that is being don? by the organising teachers, whose duty it is to visit back-block schools for the purpose of giving practical help to the teachers in the small schools. The necessity for this work arose from the fact that experienced teachers could not be induced to take charge of these schools, and the boards had to engage uncertificated and inexperienced teachers to carry on the schools. At the meeting of the Taranaki Education Board on Wednesday, the department’s proposal to reduce the four organising teachers in the board’s district to one was reported, on by the Teachers’ Selection Committee, who recommended that it would not be in the interest of education for the control of organising teachers to be in the hands of the Public Service Commissioner, and that no reduction should be made in the present number of such teachers in Taranaki until the end of 1922. -It was stated by Mr. Masters that one-third of the board’s baek-hlock teachers were uncertificated, and one-third of the children in the country districts received their education in small schools. The importance of organising teachers, who act like school-masters to the uncertifieated teachers, needs no stressing. The system has yielded results beyond all expectation, and the board should be supported in its efforts to have it continued until certificated teachers are available for these schools under the special inducements the Minister has detailed. The children in the back-blocks have juet as strong a claim to expert teaching as those in the towns, and to make them suffer on the score of economy cannot be tolerated. As a matter of fact, >a fifth teacher is required, certainly not less than four. Public sympathy will be with the action taken by the board, and it is to be hoped the protest will be effectual.