SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27664, 21 May 1955, Page 2

SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

133 LOST LAST YEAR MARRIAGE MAIN SINGLE CAUSE Sixty-one teachers in the Canterbury Education Board’s district have left the profession this year, compared with 55 up to May last year and 133 for the whole year. Sixteen teachers have resigned this year to go overseas, compared with 12 up to May and 27 for the whole of 1954. These figures were given in a report on the teacher shortage received a^_a meeting of the board 'yesterday. Marriage was the biggest single cause of, last year’s resignations from the profession, accounting for 52 of the total. Sixteen teachers have resigned for this reason. Resignations for domestic reasons last year totalled 33. In 1954, 27 retired • and the remainder resigned through ill health or to enter private employment. Of 149 probationary assistants who gained certificates at the end of their training on January 31 and September 5 last year, 23 immediately secured positions in other districts and a further 14 resigned. “Thus, 114 relievers became available to fill 160 vacancies, the deficiency being met by the appointment of teachers from overseas, other districts, and superannuitants,” the report stated. From the beginning of the next school term there are 127 relieving vacancies to be filled from a pool of 40 regular relievers, only five of whom are women, the report said.