Teachers President attacks Woking schools set-up

 

 

            Expected areas in the administration of education – like that at Woking – were described as “expensive white elephants”, by the newly elected president of Woking and District Teachers’ Association (National Union of Teachers) last week.

 

 

            Speaking at the association’s annual meeting on Monday last week, Mr. R.H. Jasper declared: “Expected areas merely duplicate the work already done at county level, and as they have no control of finance can exercise little control over policy.  They are just expensive white elephants”.

 

 

            Mr. Bob. Jasper, a teacher at Highlands County Secondary School, Woking, and soon to take up an appointment as head of history at West Byfleet Secondary from September 1970, was making the point that it was necessary to make economies in education so that teachers could be given sufficient money to restore their standard of living, it could be done.

 

 

BENEFITS

 

            The teachers’ demand for an interim salary increase of £135 a year was not to better their salaries, he said.  It was merely to restore their standard of living to what it was in July 1967.  “I trust and believe that long-term benefits which our action will bring will ultimately be reflected in improved education for the children”.

 

            He went on: “It has been said in some quarters that pay increases for teachers can only be made by making economies in other branches of the education service.    Education is too big to be administered by small authorities.   The break-up of the L.C.C. had led to fragmentation of what was probably the finest education authority in the country and replaced it with expensive borough units, too small to do the job efficiently….”

 

            He disputed the contention that smaller authorities brought an increase in local influence.  Most were controlled by political parties, which voted as national headquarters dictated.

 

 

ANACHRONISM

 

            “The wholly discredited 11-plus examination is another money-wasting and time-wasting anachronism.  Building offers scope for economy too.  Prestige palaces are very pleasant if you can afford them, but children are happier in less pretentious surroundings and purpose-built prefabricated units, removable to another site if future needs dictate, are a more practical proposition”.

 

            Mr. Jasper concluded: “1970 was destined to be an historic year in Union history, marking as it does the centenary of the 1870 Education Act.   Much has changed since then, particularly in the last 25 years.  Perhaps the best answer to critics of modern educational practice is the comparison of pictures of school children today and fifty years ago.

 

            “Then pale faced, drably dressed in silent rows taught to conform.   Today eager, bright, enjoying the opportunity to share a growing variety of creative and physical activities”.

 

            Other officers elected at the meeting were:

 

 

Vice-president

Mr. J.W. Bishop

West Byfleet

Hon. Secretary

Mr. L. L. Franks

Sheerwater

Hon. Treasurer

Mr. N.E. Charman

West Byfleet

Young teachers secretary

Miss. M.S. Tottman

West Byfleet

Teachers’ Benevolent Fund secretary

Mrs. I. C. Morgan

 

 

            Mr. Jasper takes over the presidency from Mrs. P. Collyer who led the teachers’ strike in Woking last term, when Westfield Junior and Sheerwater county secondary schools were affected.

 

 

---------------------------------------------

 

FOOTNOTE

 

            Mr. Jasper graduated in history at London University and trained as a teacher at Bognor College.   Prior to teaching at Highlands and West Byfleet he taught at Ewell and Epsom schools.    He was at West Byfleet from 1970 until the closure in July 1976, when he went onto Fullbrook as head of history until he retired in 1983.