MORE TEACHERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 208, 3 September 1938, Page 7

MORE TEACHERS.

1500 IN TRAINING.

TO OVERCOME SHORTAGE.

OUTLOOK IN DOMINION. To overcome the acute shortage of teachers in New Zealand record numbers of young men and women are now being trained at the teachers' colleges in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurcli and Dunedin. The total of over 1500 students this year compares with 1344 at the end of last year, 1178 at the end of 1936 and 428 at the end of 1935. In 1934 all the training colleges were closed, and in 1935 only those at Auckland and Christchurch were reopened. The Wellington and Dunedin colleges were closed from 1932 until the end of 1935. During the past three years staffs have been gradually built *up to the strength ruling before the depression, but the department is not yet in a position to make the increases necessary to cope with the growth in school population. The total number of teachers in the primary departments of public schools and in intermediate schools and department, in the Dominion is to-day around 6500, which is stated to be considerably below requirements. Auckland's Position. Auckland, which has the largest training college in the Dominion, is to-day training 560 teachers, an increase of 100 on the total a year ago, and at the end of the year 250 of these will be available to fill positions in the schools of Auckland, Hawke's Bay and Taranaki. Probably the number of new teachers sent out by the four colleges will be between 600 and 700, which should go far to ease the present shortage. But it Is thought that several years of intensive training will be required to meet the Dominion's needs. The average class is to-day much above 40, and the aim of the authorities is to reduce the figure to about 35, which will create a demand for at least 1500 additional teachers. As the annual wastage, due to retirements, marriage and other causes is fairly heavy, and

the training colleges are unable to admit much more than the present numbers, the indications are that the existing rate of expansion may have to be continued for a period of years. Those in close touch with the position think it unlikely that overcrowded conditions will recur in the profession for some time to come. Claims of Other Professions. A recent development has been a tendency towards a decrease in the number of those contemplating a teaching career. This is due to the increasing opportunities for youths and girls in business and other professions and in Government Departments, a position which is expected to be maintained. The introduction of the five-day week in many offices, and particularly in Government and local body employment, combined with other changes, has had the effect of reducing the comparative advantages of teaching. Also the longer period of- training and therefore the fact that one entering the teaching profession has to wait until nearly the age of 20 before attaining a salaried position certainly has a bearing. Against this, teachers have longer and more frequent vacations than other people and enjoy advantages not assessable in cash. The existence of a large training college in Auckland is partly due to population conditions, and particularly to the existence of numerous progressive suburbs. An important phase of the of a teacher is the practical instruction received in the schools, and the Auckland metropolitan area contains 34 schools which can be used for this purpose the training college is well provided with suitable material. For three days each week over a period of six weeks students go out from the college to city and suburban schools to acquire the experience necessary under class conditions, and the growth of Auckland, which is continually giving rise to new schools, should enable the future to take care of itself on the training side.