LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
R.A.F. TRAINING
SIR,—May I, as a former R.A.F. Education Officer, say a few words from first-hand knowledge about the troubles of Education Officers in connection with education generally and the E.V.T. scheme in particular? I am sure that one very important factor militating against the success of the E.V.T scheme is the fact that the running of the scheme is largely in the hands of the Educational Directorate of the R.A.F , and this depart- ment throughout the war has suffered from such ill-advised and tactless handling by the Air Ministry that it is today a body of disappointed and disheartened men, with little enthusiasm for educational work in the Service. There has been conspicuous lack of support and interest by higher authority in its work, and at station level Education Offices have been entirely dependent on the sympathy of station commanders for their success.
Education Officers engaged on the General Education Scheme have always had to win a position on the station by their personal qualities, often in the face of prejudice and opposition, before they could begin to make a success of their educational work. The opposition arises largely from the peculiar statu.. of Education Officers, who do not hold proper R.A.F. commissions. There is not space here to go in detail into the anomalies of their position. Thr whole case was ably stated by Mr. Geoffrey Hutchinson and other M.P.s in the adjournment debate of February 1st, 1945. It is enough to say that Education Officers are civilians in uniform, employed on a Burnham Scale salary, and entitled t3 none of the tax-free 'allowances, quarters, compensation for injury, &c., of ordinary officers. This has often made them objects of suspicion and even contempt, and doubled their difficulties in a task depending so much upon good wilL The station Education Officer has on most stations been made respon- sible for organising the E.V.T. scheme. He has under him officers and men as instructors. The minimum qualification for an E.V.T. instructor is the possession of a school certificate with three credits, and an officer selected for this work is eligible for the acting paid rank of flight lieutenant. The minimum qualification for appointment of an Education Officer is the possession of a university degree, and he is eligible for the acting unpaid rank of flight lieutenant. In other words, the partly qualified assistant teacher has better pay and status than the highly qualified headmaster.
Further, the educational scheme has suffered so much from muddle and opposition that many Education Officers, discouraged by the frustra- tion of all their efforts, have exercised their right of resignation, the one advantage of their anomalous civilian status, and returned to their schools where their special qualifications were so urgently needed and would be properly used. The resignations became so numerous that the Air Ministry has now succeeded in t.aving Education Officers classed as Civil Servants, with the result that thcy cannot move without the Ministry of Labour's permission. Needless to say, this step has not improved the good will or efficiency of the educational service, and it is small wonder that the E.V.T. scheme does not prosper.—Yours faithfully,
"Ex-EDUCATION OFFICER."
Previous page
