MATHEMATICS TEACHERS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27639, 21 April 1955, Page 10

MATHEMATICS TEACHERS

SUGGESTED REMEDY FOR shortage; COMPETITIVE SALARIES FOR GRADUATES

(New Zealand Press Associatidn) AUCKLAND, April 19.

The only remedy for the current shortage of mathematics teachers was to attract graduates to the service by competing for them in the market, said Professor H. G. Forder, professor of mathematics at Auckland University College, in his annual report to the college council.

In England, the shortage of science and mathematics teachers had reached “alarming proportions,” he said. New Zealand conditions were so unlike those in England that, it was surprising that the Dominion faced a similar problem.

‘'The only remedy is the natural one: to attract graduates to the teaching service by competing for them in the market, said Professor Forder. “We produce them; the Education Department must engage thpm. ’ “In England, for nearly 40 years, special allowances (at the moment up up to £2OO or more) have been paid to teachers with special qualifications or in special posts, with the object of attracting men to teaching who are not merely competent, but distinguished.”

Professor Forder said it appeared that the supply of graduates was not inadequate for the teaching profession, either at the modest level of attainment which seemed to conteht the

educationists, or at the level which would satisfy him. These graduates would not teach. They believed, rightly or wrongly, that the general conditions in the profession were not attractive enough. It was the undoubted duty of the university to point out to students the need for science and mathematics teachers, said Professor Forder, but no-one should ever suggest that standards should be eased for candidates who sought a particular type of employment, but who had not the ability to pass the present examinations. “It has been observed that in many occupations, the margin paid for skill Is too narrow,” said Professor Forder. “It remained for the State education service to ignore special gifts and to reward special training by financial loss, for the grants made to training college students created the singular situation that it was more profitable to train for a primary post than to work hard with a view to secondary teaching.” .