EMPLOYMENT AVENUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 262, 5 November 1931, Page 21

EMPLOYMENT AVENUE.

probationary TEACHERS.

SMALLER number next YEAR 1

concern felt by parents,

; / Concern is felt by parents who have ' •Is at the Auckland Girls' Grammar ?>Siodl preparing for the teaching proifession because of a report that the number of probationers to be accepted by the Education Department this year may be reduced. the Auckland Girls' Grammar School there are some 30 pupils who Sad intended to become teachers. They "e warned yesterday by the headmistress, Miss E. M. Johnston, that L re might be no openings for them. Miss Johnston said that while this was 0 far only a possibility, she thought ' ft wise to set the matter plainly -before ,t| crirls, since it was best for tliem to knW before other avenues of earning living were finally closed to them. She thought that it would be -unfair to siwle out without warning all the girls Van individual year and sacrifice them, particularly as there might be amongst tKem some of the very best potential teachers.

Nothing Definite. Nothing definite had come from Wel]jn<rton about the matter, said Mr. A. Burns chairman of the Auckland Education Board. It was about this time that instructions came fiom lieadquar-'-f'ters regarding the 'number of probationers to be engaged, and the board ffas n ow waiting for word. There were i {'number of formalities to be complied ' with before probationers were, selected; and- to allow those chosen to take up tleir duties at the beginning of next vear word was received in Auckland from Wellington about the beginning of jforember. Last year the number of ;■'probationers was 140. In view of the fact that pupils intending to ibe teachers spend at least one post-matriculation year at school to tie end, parents regard the rumour as disquieting. Under normal circumstances #fiwt-rnatriculation year _ means the '■ want in 2 of a bursary, which in turn I means that the University course neces>i to teachers will bo available at ; or no cost. While a degree, or at least University training, is invaluable if not absolutely to $ teachers, it is not so necessary for girls intending to take up a business career 3 'lf then, the teaching profession is closed to those who have -been specially preV paring for it, their year could at least k have been used to more profit. > Parents' Views. One jparent pointed out that tlift nuestion of expense was important. It ' cost money to send girls to school, and the expense increased in proportion to i the number of years spent at school. * The gaining of a bursary was of gieat ?'importance. In general, parents con--1 sidere&Jt unfair that even a rumour • slonitf fee noised abroad without any J warning at all, just when the end of ; the school year was at hand.