STAFF SHORTAGE IN SCHOOLS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26122, 26 May 1950, Page 9

STAFF SHORTAGE IN SCHOOLS

EDUCATION BOARDS DISCUSSION INVESTIGATION SOUGHT (New Zealand Press Association} WELLINGTON, May 25. A decision to urge the Education Department to set up a committee comprising representatives of the department, education boards, and the New Zealand Educational Teachers’ Institute to investigate all matters ->ertaining to the supply of teachers to schools was made at a conference of education boards in Wellington to-day. Mr G. Shorland (Auckland) said that the staffing crisis in schools was more acute than when the emergency teachers’ training scheme was inaugurated last year. In the Auckland district, for instance, there were more than 200 schools without certificated teachers. It was obvious, he said, that teachers’ appointments, transfers, salaries, accommodation, and other questions needed ‘urgent stocktaking.” Information from a survey by the department of the staff position was given in committee by the Assistant Director of Education (Mr D. Ball). Mr G. N. Boulton (Wanganui) said that practically all schools outside city areas were now approved for ‘country service” purposes, involving increased salaries, and the main inducement to teachers to do real country service was no longer existent. He suggested that the department should be asked to review the list of country schools, eliminating large towns from the classification so that the future staffing of country schools would not be jeopardised. The conference adopted the proposal.