SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24983, 18 September 1946, Page 5

SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

SENIOR STUDENTS TO TAKE CLASSES Action which has not been necessary for many years has had to be taken by the Canterbury Education Board this term to relieve the shortage of teachers in schools under its control. Selected third-year students of the Christchurch Teachers’ Training College who, for one year, normally are attached as probationary assistants to schools in Christchurch for practical teaching experience under the supervision of the permanent staff, have been released to take classes of their own.

All care was being taken to ensure that neither the students nor pupils suffered educationally, said Mr L. E. Rowley, secretary of the Canterbury Education Board yesterday. The students were teaching at schools in and close to Christchurch, where they would have easy access to the Training College and Canterbury University College. Full advice would be available to them, and their teaching of classes would be watched by senior teachers. “Wastage” of teachers was most prevalent during the third term in any year. Mr Rowley said, but the nosition had been aggravated this year by the marriage of many teachers to men returning from service overseas. The female teaching staff was normally reduced by marriages each year, but this had been more concentrated with the return of large -drafts of servicemen. Some relief had been given bj the return of men from the forces.. Some were sfill faking refresher courses and others had returned to the schools where they held appointments when they joined the forces.