MATHS AND SCIENCE TEACHERS SHORT

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30192, 25 July 1963, Page 17

MATHS AND SCIENCE TEACHERS SHORT

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 23. A survey made by the Postprimary Teachers’ Association shows a “serious” situation over the shortage of mathematics and science teachers in State schools. Based on returns from the State post-primary schools

and covering 5060 permanent and 528 temporary staff, the survey shows the position as ait March. The president of the association (Mr S. H. Lee) said today there were 344 teaching positions in mathematics and science unfilled or filled by inadequately qualified persons. “This is a serious situation and one which should give cause for alarm,” Mr Lee said. "The desperate shortage of mathematics and science teachers continues and in some areas it is difficult to plug the gap even with poorly qualified staff. “An equally alarming feature of the survey is that, contrary to earlier indications, the percentage of graduates to total staff has fallen below last year's figure and is now 56.4

“This is really dangerously low and shows that the quality of staff in many of our schools is quite inadequate “My association considers that the minimum number of graduates to total staff should be 85 per cent. “The survey also shows that there were 528 teaching which were filled by temporary staff. The proportion of permanent staff to entitlement shows no improvement over last year's figure of 88 per cent. “The number of positions of responsibility unfilled at the time of the survey was 282. which was a steep rise on the 1962 figure of 180," said Mr Lee.