TEACHERS AND THE BALLOT.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16205, 7 May 1918, Page 3

TEACHERS AND THE BALLOT.

ft MINISTER CALLING FOR REPORT.

The Hon. J. A. Hanan, Minister of Education, referring to the Question oi appeals for the rapidly dwindling stock of male teachers :it the Normal Training College, said yesterday that the lact was that the Education Department was not the teachers' employer, and appeals to a Military Service Board (: ''Ulcl only be made by an employer, which in this ease was the Canterbury Education Hoard. The teachers could, or course, appeal personally. The Department could only appeal for tho cep.chers of Native schools, which were directly under its control. "If a Hoard takes up the attitude that it will not i'.ppcal lor its teaehcrs," said the Minister, "the responsibility is on it, but i am going to obtain a report from the Education Boards as to the extent to which staffs of training collcgc-s will be depleted by tho ballot."

The Minister said that he was concerned about the standard of efficiency hi the' Hi-ate schools, and ho was glad that the Government had agreed to provide the amount necessary to increase the salaries of teacher probationers and training college students. During the. past three years 1800 teachers had left the primary school service, and only 404 new pupil teachcrs and probationers had been appointed at the beginning of the present year. Or these only sixty-seven were males. In addition to the 1900 teachers, 700 had joined tlie Expeditionary Force, and about liO posts for probationers were .at present vacant, and could not- bo tilled at' the present salaries. The number of men left on the training staffs, Mr llar.an added, was far more serious to the Education Department than to any other Department. Enlistments actually cut down the source of supply, and whereas in the case of clerks, mechanics, or professional men an employer could labour from the ranks of his icilow employers, there was no such sources of supply for the Education Department. and tlie training of the Future teachcrs was being c-rippled by enlistments.