TEACHER SHORTAGE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30003, 12 December 1962, Page 18

TEACHER SHORTAGE

Improvement In Year

(NZ. Prest Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 11

The primary school teacher shortage dropped from 9.4 per cent, to 8 per cent, in the year ended September 30, the Minister of Education (Mr Tennent) announced today. He said this was in spite of an increase of 220 in primary . teaching positions. He said this shortage referred to classes without per-manently-appointed teachers.

Only 30 of 11,000 classes had been without any teacher and, in many cases, these positions had now been filled. As well, most relieving teachers were fully-qualified teachers, he said. Some were superannuitants and others married women who were unable to take permanent positions. Mr Tennent said 350 more positions were filled by permanent teachers in September, 1962, than were filled a year previously. He credited special measures taken during toe year as contributing to the improvement. Some of the measures had led to the retention and the return to teaching of many married women.

*Mr Tennent said teacher recruiting looked more promising than for some years, although staffing difficulties continued to face some schools. Record numbers of students had entered teachers’ colleges last February. The intake next year would be even better.