1069 POSTS IN TEACHING ADVERTISED THIS MONTH

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28399, 4 October 1957, Page 14

1069 POSTS IN TEACHING ADVERTISED THIS MONTH

The longest "situat.ons vacant” column for one class of employee appears this month in the Education Gazette, official circular of the Education Department in New Zealand. It advertises positions for 632 post-primary school teachers (including 36 in Christchurch), 326 primary school teachers, 80 manual training instructors, and 31 private school teachers. The total of 1069 in one issue is probably the largest ever recorded.

Although the shortage of teachers has been widely publicised in the last few months, the Education Gazette notices do not mean that 1069 additional teachers are required. The big list of vacancies simply indicates, that October is the month in which the biggest movement of staff originates in any year. By this month, teachers intending to retire at the end of the year have usually given notice This immediately creates vacancies. New Schools Then there are new schools to be staffed. About half a dozen new high schools will open throughout the country next year but, as most will take only thirdform pupils, their staffing needs will be limited. About a score of others are only a year or two old and, as they reach the ultimate number of classes, a full staff running into dozens is required. It is estimated that 75 new positions will be made. Although primary school accommodation is still being expanded, new ones are not being opened at the high rate of a few years ago. However, those now nearing completion will create entirely new positions.

Another reason for the concern tratinn of advertisements in October is the availability of newlytrained recruits from the teachers’ colleges. Although they have still to complete this year's training, most now know' their prospects of certification and this is the. first month in which they are eligible to apply for their first posts. Employing authorities—education boards and post-primary school boards—are always quick to seize this opportunity to secure staff freshly-trained in the latest methods. In both services there is a better prospect of obtaining applicants where few may have been received before because of the shortage. The extent of the October boom in jobs is shown by the 11 full pages of advertisements for one group this month, compared with only three in September. There were nine and a half pages in October last year. Two pages are taken by ‘‘special positions.” These will not necessarily mean alterations in the staff

of all these schools. They are positions of responsibility involving promotion and charge of departments and often present staff members are the obvious choice. Every retirement or new appointment sets up a chain reaction throughout the country. If a teacher resigns in Christchurch, his successor may come from Auckland. The place there may be filled from Gisborne, and so the creation of vacancies goes on. It is probable that a very large proportion of the 1069 places advertised this month arise from this cause Application Numbers When a new principal is sought for a post-primary school, it is common in Christchurch to receive 40 or 50 applications For ordinary teaching positions there may be 20 or more. But sometimes few or none are, received, depending on the qualifications required, the location, and appeal of the school. Where a selection of good candidates is known to be available, competition is as keen among the post-primary schools as among the teachers themselves. Most boards hold special meetings' as soon as applications close, so that an offer of appointment may be made to the best candidate before another school snaps him up. One case has been reported in the North Island of a principal taking a car-load of his selection committee on a tour of nearly 200 miles to conduct interviews on the day applications closed. The one consolation for parents, who often become concerned about frequent staff changes in schools, is that most of the appointments now advertised in the Education Gazette will take effect at the beginning of the school year. Education authorities also say that new appointment schemes, better salaries, and improved conditions are also tending to make staffing more stable.