Teacher surplus may force cuts

Press, 17 December 1976, Page 1

Teacher surplus may force cuts

PA Wellington The Department of Education may slash its recruitment of primary teacher trainees next year as the prospect grows of a large oversupply of teachers in 1978 and later.

The department is reviewing its teacher requirements, and until the review has been completed district boards have been told not to offer any new one-year studentships, and not to fill three-year studentship quotas. The annual grading of primary schools in September had shown that in 1978 and later about 500 fewer positions would be available than had previously been estimated by the department, the DirectorGeneral of Education (Mr Bill Renwick) said yesterday.

Mr Renwick said that a number of key factors influencing the need for primary teachers had changed significantly in the five months since the department had made its estimates of. the demand for teachers. “The pool of potential trained teachers seeking to return to teaching after completing a retraining scheme appears to be larger than expected,” Mr Renwick said. “The department in its

forecasts had been working on an estimated figure of 350 teachers completing the course this year and therefore becoming eligible for appointment to permanent positions.” However, more than 500 teachers had completed courses this year, he said. The retention of primary teachers had also continued this year at the relatively high levels of 1974 and 1975.

Mr Renwick said that the latest statistics of annual live births showed that births continued to decline and although this would not affect the school system for five years it confirmed the continuing downward trend of recent years. This would have a bearing on the forward estimates of the department for the supply of teachers, he said. “For these reasons the department thinks it prudent to review the position to see whether it is necessary to recruit at the levels thought to be required some months ago when the quotas for 1977 were decided.” Mr Renwick said that the department expected to be able to advise district education boards of the final numbers to be admitted to training in 1977 by the middle of January.

Sufficient vacant positions are available in schools throughout the country to ensure that all teachers in the second, third, and fourth years of their service will have employment if they are prepared to go where the positions are available, according to the Minister of Education (Mr Gandar). He said that some teachers might have to move from one education district to another, or from a city to a country district, “but this- kind of movement of teachers has always been characteristic of the New Zealand teaching scene." Some teachers, because of personal circumstances, could not move to places where there were positions. “This problem is a recurring one, and one that is difficult to overcome. During the ensuing weeks Christchurch and Hamil-. ton could have difficulties because of this. “It will be relieved to some extent as further vacancies occur, as they always do, right up to the beginning of the new term.” He said he was confident that education boards would give priority in relieving appointments to this group of teachers, so that they could continue in their careers.