Sold Down the Drain

We've been saying a lot of things about what's [unclear: ong] in the education system as a result of inadequate [unclear: ancing]. But what do teachers think? Simon Wilson [unclear: erviewed] one teacher in a local inner city school [unclear: get] one answer.

[unclear: this] school well off?

Because it's an inner city school there's a floating [unclear: pulation], so therefore while people do care, they [unclear: ove] on. So there's no continuity in the parents' [unclear: sociation.]

[unclear: e] parents expected to contribute financially to the [unclear: hool?]

[unclear: ot] a great deal. I think we're very humane. We try [unclear: ot] to call on them too much, because we don't [unclear: int] children to be singled out. Therefore we do [unclear: mmiving] things, like a teacher paying if everybody's [unclear: ing] to the planetarium for a unit on space. Those [unclear: no] can't pay are just shuffled along and it's not not-[unclear: ed] that they don't bring their fifty cents. Or else a [unclear: acher] would not plan, say, three expensive activities [unclear: a] row.

[unclear: ow] widespread is this .... having teachers paying [unclear: r] the activities?

[unclear: achers] dip into their pockets quite a bit. Some of [unclear: e] classes are smaller here so it's not so bad. But a [unclear: Richer] with a class of 35, living in a flat, obviously [unclear: st] couldn't get all the things she wanted for that [unclear: ass]. You scratch around and you do your best.

[unclear: e] buy coloured chalk, cellotape, paper, [unclear: aste].... soap, towels, cleaning materials, [unclear: u]-tack, cooking materials, you name it. [unclear: That's] if we want to have a programme that's [unclear: ive] and relevant to the children's ages and [unclear: eeds].

[unclear: hat] sort of things do you buy?

[unclear: h].... coloured chalk, cellotape, paper, paste. .. .

[unclear: sic] working materials?

[unclear: es] I think every teacher has books of her own to [unclear: ake] her reading programme more exciting. The lib-[unclear: ry] grant isn't too bad, but of course every school [unclear: ould] say it wanted a bigger library. Ours certainly [unclear: n't] big. But we do get library grants.

[unclear: e] also have to buy soap, towels (for our classroom), [unclear: eaning] materials, blutack, cooking materials, you [unclear: ame] it. That's if we want to have a programme that's [unclear: ive] and relevant to the children's ages and needs.

[unclear: hat] about more expensive equipment, like tape [unclear: re-orders] and so on ?

[unclear: Well], it's a small school, so we're due for very little. I [unclear: st] learned the other day that we are getting the [unclear: iano] tuned. Everything's on a shoe string. We've [unclear: ot] one piano here. It's very old and we really shou [unclear: dn't] have it because the school isn't big enough. [unclear: That's] crazy.

[unclear: Wow] many children do you have?

[unclear: A bit] over 200, I think. But you know, a school like [unclear: his], with all its diverse needs, must have music. The [unclear: ohnson] Report said music was one of the important [unclear: reas] that needed attention. So we're finally having [unclear: he] piano tuned and that's marvellous. But teachers [unclear: uy] their own musical instruments. Guitars, melo[unclear: icas], etc.

[unclear: There's] no gym and no money to repair out-[unclear: door] equipment when it breaks, it just gets [unclear: cotched] and we do without.

[unclear: What] areas are you finding are being adversely affected [unclear: y] restrictions in funding?

[unclear: Everyone] could do with more materials. All areas [unclear: eally]. Everybody needs more music equipment, more [unclear: rt] equipment. . . you use up your art materials so [unclear: quickly].

[unclear: Teachers] also use their own cars for trips. There's no [unclear: etrol] allowance, there's wear and tear on the cars. [unclear: No] business would operate like this. And yet all the [unclear: good] tenets of education say that the programme [unclear: must] be alive and interesting, going out into the [unclear: community] and bringing people back into the school.

Even from the point of view of physical fitness: it would be fabulous if we had a gym. But there's no gym and no money to repair outdoor equipment when it breaks. So it just gets scotched and we do without.

Then there's the medical area. Some children have a pretty rough time at home, and of course there's never enough money to provide adequate cotton wool, plasters. . . that's another area where teachers dip into their own pockets. You can't watch a child bleeding and not have something to put on it.

In this school we deal with quite a bit of scabies, lice herpes, that sort of thing. Yet there is no hot water in the toilets. For staff or children.

Also you might help some children with their lunches. If they're not getting fruit or something. You do it unobtrusively, because it's not charity. But then teachers needn't do that, need they?

Wouldn't you say that there is a kind of in-built responsibility to do that? Teachers are more than teachers, aren't they?

I think this is becoming more and more obvious. Teachers have to be more. I think they get more job satisfaction out of it.

Do they get the recognition for it?

No. Teachers are very looked down on in the community. I don't think they have the standing the had, say, 40 years ago. I don't know why.

In rich suburbs, the parents get together and have fairs etc. We have the will, but. . . . Anyway, why should education be run on charity?

What about support from the Education Department?

They just haven't got the money. For example, I've got a record player which I should really use. But it was broken, it got old, and I just don't have the money to have it repaired. So we just don't use it.

And it won't be repaired until you can find the money yourself?

Or until a grant falls into my lap. The School Committee hands out as must as it can. They're very well aware of all these things.

This is the money the School Committee gets from the Board?

Yes, In rich suburbs, the parents get together and have fairs etc. We have the will here, but .... anyway, why should education be run on charity?

What about curriculum development?

Science units don't come through as quickly as they did. Basic equipment. . . We still get our newsletter. But you know the booklet "Education". 10 years ago there was one for every staff member. It's very valuable, very useful. Now we're lucky if there's one for every department.

What about New Zealand books, for use in the classroom?

The Department has done some work. There's an awareness that we should have such books, but there's never enough money.

Are you saying that from an ideal point of view, or are you saying.....

No. There is not enough money put aside for books.

Are you discovering new areas where the school is having to cut back on activities?

Yes. We used to regularly hire buses, to do visits. Now we really have to think about that. It's a luxury. And it's very hard to get phys-ed equipment: balls etc.

It's the Year of the Child. I think children are the nation's resource, and I think they are being sold down the drain.

In other words it's the things that might be seen on paper as peripheral, but are in fact quite essential?

Absolutely. That's if you believe that in a school with lots of problems, with language problems — and language is learnt developmentally — you can't just sit there and lecture, you've got to be out and actually doing. Language is learnt in operation, not by dummy runs. That's a quote; I think it's excellent.

All these things are necessary. They're not just fancy bits of some teacher's programme. They are absolutely necessary for the children if they are going to learn. It's not just a question of "teaching". The children learn, by doing.

And education, in terms of official spending, isn't keeping up with that?

Goodness no. How can it? The costs are rising so much. A little packet of paste we use cast 35c about two years ago (out of the teacher's pocket, but that we nothing once a week), now it's over a dollar. Books are the same.

How do you see the future?

There will be more problems — there are more problems, learning problems — just because there aren't the facilities to set out a good learning programme for children. It's the Year of the Child. I think children are the nation's resource, and I think they are being sold down the drain.

Read this

• Upgrading primary schools in the Wellington area to the standards set by the 1970 building code would cost $50 million.
• New Zealand's teacher/student ratio in secondary schools is 1:25. In Sweden it's 1:9.5. In the United States it is 1:12.5. In Britain it is 1:14.
• There are, on average, two permanent teachers misting in every secondary school.
• The Health Department considers that hot water is not necessary in schools for teachers or pupils.
• The Budget allocation for secondary staffing was reduced by $3 million with 264 schools in the country, that means at least one more teacher gone from schools.
• The Government claims rolls are dropping. In secondary schools, they are not expected to reach their peak until 1986.
• 50,000 children in this country are two years behind in their basic work compared to what could be reasonably be expected of them.
• 10,000 children are more than two years behind what could be reasonably expected of them in mathematics.

And come to this!

These days, the schools are really copping it. Secondary teachers are fed up and leaving the service (1000 by the end of the year). Primary teachers have decided they may engage in unprecedented stopwork meetings if negotiations with the Government don't turn up something decent. Kindergarten teachers also threatened unprecedented action earlier this year.

Hear representatives of all these sectors and the Teachers College explain the issues.