RECRUITMENT OF TEACHERS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29024, 13 October 1959, Page 26

RECRUITMENT OF TEACHERS

Candidates Being Interviewed

Applicants for entry to teachers’ training college in the Canterbury Education Board’s district this year total 354 compared with more than 400 last year. The decrease has not caused undue alarm because the quota to be accepted is only 210 and there is usually no difficulty in finding more than enough suitable candidates. Last year’s applicationsw ere inflated by an intensive campaign for recruits. Selection committees of the Canterbury Education Board are now busy conducting interviews and assessing candidates. Committees sat in Christchurch from Monday to Thursday last week, in Greymouth last Friday and from today until Thursday there will be a sitting in Timaru. Based on main towns of the extensive district, the spread of applicants was: Christchurch 240. Greymouth 27, Timaru 87. Canterbury, which has always been a favourable area for recruiting teachers, has to make some unusual adjustments in the selections. The quota of primary trainees to be accepted by the Christchurch Teachers’ College lis 150, including some from the Nelson Education Board’s district and some from Marlborough, which is under the Wellington Education Board. Then another 60 are to be selected in Canterbury to attend the Dunedin Teachers’ College. Where possible these are chosen from southern parts of Canterbury so that they will be comparatively near home. But after all the selections have been made, there may be a surplus of acceptable candidates. Some may still be able to train as teachers next year. The tops of the unsuccessful list will fill vacancies which inevitably occur in Christchurch through withdrawals in the next few months. Others may get training elsewhere if other colleges are unable to fill their quotai.