TEACHERS SHORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 192, 16 August 1939, Page 10

TEACHERS SHORT.

DOMESTIC SCIENCE.

POSITION IN AUCKLAND.

CENTRES HAVE TO CLOSE.

A serious shortage of domestic science teachers, which had already resulted in the closing of one training centre, was discussed by the Auckland Education Board this morning, and it was decided to make representations to this Department of Education with the object of having the matter remedied. It was stated that there were 3»t cooking instruction centres in the board's district, requiring 27 instructresses and three assistants. The only training school was Ota go University. Last year there was a serious shortage of teachers in the Auckland province, and it became necessary to close down several of the centres. The Auckland Board had advertised repeatedly without success. When a new batch of teachers became available at the beginning of the year Auckland's quota was filled, but some of the instructors had married and others had transferred back to their liome districts in the South Island, so that the position had become acute again.

Two years ago, it was stated, the board had been asked by the Department to make suggestions which would result in an improvement to the position. This was done, one of the proposal# being that teachers should be trained at the Seddon Memorial Technical College. As there was a surplus of teachers at Melbourne it was also suggested that Australian teachers should be imported. However, these suggestions were not availed of. and there had.been no improvement in the position.

It was pointed out that the cost of sending Aucklanders to Dunedin for training made it practically impossible for local girls to be trained. As a consequence most of the teachers were from tho South, and they were naturally anxious to return as soon as possible to the vicinity of their homes.