MALE STAFF NEEDED

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28702, 27 September 1958, Page 14

MALE STAFF NEEDED

Requirements Of Girls’ Schools (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 26. The time was long past since it was held imperative that women teachers only should teach girls in post-primary schools, said Mr O. Conibear. president of the Secondary Schools Boards’ Association, today. “Provided that teachers appointed to these schools have the requisite academic qualifications and trailing, and the ability to impart knowledge to pupils, does it reajly matter, from an education standpoint—that is, for most subjects in the post-primary curriculum—whether girls in either coeducational or girls’ schools are taught by men or women teachers?” he asked. At the beginning of 1958 more than 80,000 pupils were enrolled at State post-primary schools, both co-educational and singlesex schools. Fifty-two per cent, of them were boys, said Mr Combear. Of the 3900 teachers on the staffs of those schools, approximately 66 per cent, were men and only 32 per cent, were women teachers.

Mr Conibear the percentages of men and women postprimary teachers had varied only a little for some years. Therefore, because of the existing low percentage of women teachers, it was not difficult to understand the necessity for girls to be taught by male teachers and also the reason for the more recent trend of appointing men to the staffs of post-primary schools for girls. Sir Conibear said: “Give priority by all means to suitable women applicants, but there appears to be no reason to doubt the claims of male applicants for the principalships of post-primary schools for girls.”