LACK OF TEACHERS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 150, 25 June 1912, Page 8

LACK OF TEACHERS

SUGGESTION BY SOUTHLAND BOARD IMPORTATIONS FROM ENGLAND "OFFER TrfORE INDUCEMENTS." A proposal by the Southland board in regard to increasing the supply of certificated teachers by importation from Home met with disfavour at to-day's meeting of the Wellington Education Board. In effect the latter board suggested that the four Training Colleges when in full working order should be able to meet the Dominion's requirements in this respect, and added that teachers for back-block schools should be offered greater inducements. The chairman (Mr. Robert Lee) said that there was no doubt that the board was at one with the Southland Board in a desire to meet the deficiency in the respect of certificated teachers, but with regard to the matter of the (suggestion that trained teachers should be brought out from Home, that should receive the greatest consideration. The department had alj the four training colleges, and the one under the Wellington board was not yet in full working order, while it had not reached the dimensions intended it should. "I think myself," added Mr Lee, "that we might say to the Southland Board that we are in sympathy with them so far as to the requirements of the supply of the certificated teacher. At the same time we have in our system the power to meet the demand. If our Training Colleges were in complete working order, and if, perhaps, we might offer teachers a little moa? inducement, the supply should be met." The chairman added that there would then be no lack of either primary and- secondary teachers. This last raised a most urgent question, for so many of this class of teachers were quite untrained? or had had practically no training for the work. "That the Wellington Education Board is in agreement with the Southland Education Board in desiring that the schools of the Dominion should be fully staffed with qualified teachers, and in its expressed opinion that better means should be adopted for obtaining an> adequate supply ot certificated teachers, but this board ' is of opinion that if more inducements were held out to prospective teachers our own training colleges, when in full working order, should be well able to meet the requirements of both primary and secondary teachere." The mover said that to do such as was suggested would be not only a great undertaking, but one containing an element of danger too. It would place the training colleges at a great disadvantage. Figures were quoted to show that in England th* number of candidates oifering for the profession there had dropped in iive years from 1906-7 from 11,081 to 6157 in 1910-11. The latter figures included Wales. The importation i of teachere would endanger the training colleges, and further diminish the English supply. Mr. Freeman seconded and supported tho motion, which was carried unanimously after further discussion.