SIR,—With reference to the article on " The Teacher's Demand"
in your issue of February 12th, the writer implies that teachers have no real opportunity of making known their ideas as to improving the existing system of education. I cannot speak for England, but in Scotland, while this condition of things was no doubt formerly the case, as far as my knowledge as a former headmaster goes, things are very different today, and the machinery, in most cases at least, exists whether teachers make full use of it or not. In most counties there is a joint Committee of Teachers (elected by the teachers of the county) and members of the Education Committee, an equal number of both. My experience, as a member of such a committee, is that a very cordial relationship exists between the two bodies and that any suggestions made are carefully and sympathetically considered. IiidEed the suggestions are mainly from the Education Committee members, and my feeling is that the teachers do not avail themselves sufficiently of their opportunities.
There is a Committee of the Educational Institute of Scotland for Educational Research, and some at least of the Education Committees, on request of the E.I.S., give an annual contribution to this research work. The result of this Committee's work is available for all teachers, who can, in 'turn through their joint Committee, place any resulting proposals before the Education Committee. For instance, this research committee has issued two very exhaustive volumes on the teaching of arithmetic, and a chance is thereby given of co-ordinating the methods of teaching arithmetic in the best possible way in all schools throughout the country. - There is also a special Science Comniittee, the members being science teachers and one of the chief science inspectors. These are instances of some of the work that is going on to try to get at the best possible curricula and the best methods of teaching, so that in this respect at least it is surely not quite correct to say that " teachers have not been consulted." As to the other points mentioned, viz., types of schools and conditions of work, teachers might again do a good deal through their joint committees to bring these matters under discussion.—Yours faith-
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