Govt. Action To Overcome Teacher Shortage

Press, Volume C, Issue 29606, 31 August 1961, Page 6

Govt. Action To Overcome Teacher Shortage

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Aug. 30. The recognition of years of ‘‘motherhood” in fixing the commencing salaries of married women teachers who returned to permanent positions in either primary, or poet-primary, schools was one of a number of measures approved by the .Government to help with the Staffing of schools, the Minister of Education .(Mr Tennent) announced today. Every three years spent in bringing up a family will be regarded as the equivalent of one normal salary increment. The plan is limited to four increments. “Experience with growing children is of great value'to a teacher, and I hope many married women will be induced to come back, to teaching. A provision ' of this kind has been used with success in the United Kingdom.” Mr Tennent said. He also announced the offer of a free air passage to New Zealand to as many as 50 New Zealand primary school teachers now in England, mi condition that, on return, they served two I years where directed and a further year. | This would provide Staff I for schools now in difficulties. The scheme wfculd be restricted to those teachers who fulfilled their minimum teaching obligations before

leaving New Zealand, Mr Tennent said. The Government has also agreed to the appointment of a personnel and recruitment officer to each ot the three large North Island education boards—Auckland, South Auckland and Wellington. These officers will have major responsibilities for recruiting teachers and for helping to regain those in service. “Two other measures will help with staffing,’’ Mr Tennent said. “One is the removal of a restriction that applies to the salaries of relieving teachers in the primary service. These teachers will now be paid as in the post-primary service—on equal terms with teachers permanently appointed. This measure will, r am sure, be warmly welcomed by teachers. "The other measure is authority for • education boards to appoint teachers’ aides in schools where staffing is particularly unstable. It is clearly understood that aides are not teachers, but are there to help teachers and relieve them of the many routine tasks that, combined with staff changes, can make the conditions under which teachers work very difficult.” Mr Tennent said the Educational Institute recently

outlined a scheme to meet the situation when a primary school had classes wi'hout teachers. The scheme provided for rationed attendance erf classes—two classes would attend on alternate days to be taught by the same teachers. “However, under the Education Act, neiher I nor the education boards can permit classes to be 'closed’ and the children sent home,” Mr Tennent said.

“Apart from the legalities of the situation, I could not agree to a scheme that would mean so much interruption to children’s schooling and so much disturbance to home routines. I prefer to adopt the positive approach of intensifying the efforts to keep schools fully staffed.

“The long-term problem in staffing is well in hand. I have already announced the substantially larger quotas for both primary and post-primary entrants to training next year. These are the largest quotas ever approved, and I have stated 'hat the Government is prepared to go beyond the original quota and select up to 2000 primary trainees if suitable candidates offer themselves “As a further move towards keeping the schools well staffed, entrants to training next year will ’be bonded to give two years’ teaching service after certification. Plans for an eighth and for further teachers’ training colleges are in train.

“Next February over 700 post-primary teachers will enter the schools and about 300 more will become available during the year. In 1962, primary schools will receive teachers who began training in 1959 when 1500 trainees were selected.

“This large injection into the teaching force should help the schools very materially,” said Mr Tennent.