RATIONED TEACHERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 June 1934, Page 3

RATIONED TEACHERS

REPLY TO RESOLUTIONS. (PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, June 27. The resolutions passed at'the meeting of the Wellington and Suburban rationed school teachers, criticising .the rationing scheme, were replied to to-day, by the Minister of Education. “Tho resolutions passed are based on a scrioqs luck of knowledge of tlie real position,” said Mr Masters. “To say that no one is benefiting but the Department is absurd, when we remember that at the beginning of the year, over 1,800 teachers wei*fe without permanent positions. Of these 463 could have been used as probationary assistants in schools of an average of 121 or over 300, as relieving teachers, whenever a temporary vacancy occurred, and about 100 others as additional assistants in schools where conditions were exceptional. This would have left quite unprovided for at the beginning of the year over 900, who would have had to seek what employment they could away from their profession. The rationing scheme was put into operation only after approval of it had been given by the New Zealand

Educational Institute. It is true that the Institute desired that the rate of pay should bo higher but upon consideration, members of the executive realised that the offer was the best that could be made in the circumstances. Rationed teachers generally have charge of a class whenever conditions of school accommodation permit. Those that are appointed in lieu of probationary assistants should have charge of a class and no doubt any additional rationed teacher, who wished to show his ability would prefer to have charge of a small class rather than be attached as supernumerary to a. class or to a group of classes. The average size of’ a large number of such classes in the Wellington district is 29. It is true that some of these rationed teachers are in charge of classes as large as those taught by some Grade I assistants, and it is also true that in consequence of the employment of rationed teachers, the size of classes taught by some permanent staff has been reduced, but this has been' done not

to “exploit” the rationed teachers, but to give him adequate training and to afford him-an opportunity of displaying his ability. It must not be forgotten also that when these rationed teachers secure permanent positions, and week after week this will .occur, they will have to take ciiarge of reasonably sized classes. The statement that the promised continuity of service has proved false is quite incorrect. There is continuity of service and pay. Such teachers, however, can be nioved from one school to another, as , occasion demands, but this, very necessary condition was expressly laid down in

the scheme. That the scheme has resulted in loss of status and in no

immediate hope of future employment, is equally meaningless. How is a person losing status by being kept in employment when he - might have been one of the 990 absolutely unemployed? How is he losing status when he is keeping in touch with his profession and thereby getting the opportunity of improving his official grading? What extra hope of future employment would he have had were he wholly unemployed or only intermittently employed this year? Through the opportunity of showing what they can do, the be ; st wijl have of securing permanent"positions earlier than otherwise. Such opportunities are arising day by day. Since ‘ the beginning of the year, the number of those nbt in permanent positions has actually decreased by no fewer than 350. The plea for reopening grade 0 schools is based on ignorance of the facts. Since the establishment of the highly successful correspondence schools there has been less need for retaining the little isolated school of two, three or four pupils, generally in charge of ah uncertificated teacher, often a local resident. But even then, the number ef such schools in existence! was in 1929 —234; 193.0 —247; 1907 213; 1932—204; 1933—210. Surely,

this is no indication of aggressive policy in closing such schools. The request for an inciease in the number of “permanent” relieving staff is equally unimformed. There has never"been a permanent relieving staff if for no other reason than that no capable teacher desires such a position. Relieving positions are and have always been filled by whatever teachers were unemployed at the time. Finally, the request that schools should be staffed by the requisite number of Grade I assistants, is only another indication that those young people have not studied the question they are discussing. All schools entitled to Grade I assistants have the requisite number. The., only exceptions are when relieving teachers are occupying temporarily Grade I positions, pending the filling of the vacancy by the Education Board or during the absence on leave of the permanent teacher. This, of course, is unavoidable and has always been the practice. f have much sympathy with . these voting people, added the Ministei, “but one could wish that they would go to a little more trouble in ascertaining the facts before formulating resolutions. Had they sought an interview with the Director of Education or myself, the position could have been clearly explained to them without the necessity for a reply being given through the medium of the Press.”