TEACHERS AT THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 44, 15 November 1941, Page 10

TEACHERS AT THE WAR

Situations Safeguarded FILLING OF VACANCIES The position of teachers serving iu the armed forces is safeguarded by the Teachers’ Emergency Regulations, 1941, which were gazetted on Thursday Various other subjects are also dealt with in the regulations, which are largely in the nature of a consolidation of existing regulations. An explanation of the section dealing with teachers who have gone to the war was given by the Minister of Education, Mr. Mason, in an interview last evening. He said there was provision for the war vacancies so created being filled during the absence of the teachers concerned. The-teacher tilling the vacancy would receive the same appointment as that held by the teacher whose position he was tern porarily occupying, and the conditions a’s to service would be substantially similar to those of the absent teacher, with the exception that he must vacate the position when the teacher concerned returned from the war. Class of Teachers. The provision applied to teachers permanently engaged in any school under* the control of an education board, teachers permanently engaged in any secondary, technical or combined school, teachers permanently engaged at manual-training centres or as itinerant agricultural instructors. Ths regulations might be applied not merely in respect of teachers who performed actual military service, but to one engaged iu work deemed by the Minister to be essential in the prosecution of the war. The absent teacher had the right to leave of absence for the purpose of discharging military duties, which was another way of stating that his rights and privileges were preserved. There were detailed provisions as to the right to apply for war vacancies, but in general they were very similar to the provisions relating to applications for permanent appointments. To meet, the ease of training college students and probationary assistants provision is made iu the regulations for the relaxation of certain conditions. If there is only a short period of training as a teacher to be undergone when a man is called up for service the necessity for serving that short period may be waived on the recommendation of the principal of the training college, and if a more substantial period has still to be served the serving of that period may be postponed till after the completion of the military service.