SENIOR WOMEN TEACHERS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27426, 12 August 1954, Page 12

SENIOR WOMEN TEACHERS

SHORTAGE TO BE DISCUSSED COMMITTEES EXPRESS CONCERN The shortage of senior women teachers will be discussed by representatives of the Canterbury School Committees’ Association and the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute. In a letter received at last evening’s meeting of the association, the Shirley Intermediate School Committee said that its school had experienced a serious lack of senior women teachers, and had found that the Canterbury Education Board was equally concerned about the shortage. The basic reasons for the shortage were simple, said Mr A. McNeil, who was until recently chairman of the board’s appointments, committee. Most ■of the teachers now in service had come from the low birth-rate period of the depression, he said, and the limited supply had to cope with an unusual bulge in school population. More women were also finding other employment. The problem was common to all intermediate schools, and it seemed that senior women were not applying for responsible positions in such schools, said Mr E. R. Hayman (Shirley). At intermediate school age, girls needed good women teachers, Shirley was entitled to eight such teachers, but had only two permanently appointed, and one of them was on leave in England. Younger women, two ojr three years after leaving the Teachers’ College, would probably be qualified for work in the intermediate schools, said the secretary (Mr A. Greenwood). The shortage of senior women was felt in all schools, and it would be worse as more schools were built.

It had been claimed that though teachers’ salaries at the lower levels were now’ good, there was not sufficient increment for the more responsible position to attract applicants, said the president (Mr R. K. Miln). He suggested conferring with the institute. The meeting; agreed that more married women might be induced to return to teaching, but speakers opposed any suggestion that they should leave young families.