LABOUR WORLD

Grey River Argus, 27 February 1928, Page 5

LABOUR WORLD

Unemployed Teachers DEPARTMENTAL STATISTICS. CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE. WELLINGTON February 25. With reference to a complaint regarding unemployed teachers, at the present timqfalid tlv* Education Dept, lias just obtained returns from Education Boards, that indicat * that the position is not worse than usual. According to those returns the number of teachers seeking employment during the current vear is 1389, while the estimated r.uei-b-*r of vacancies will be 1418. The information obtained by the department is as follows: —Teachers without permanent. positions in December last; 340; probationary assistants completeing lheir training in December 17/, substituted assist: nts 218. student.' 1 aving

the Training College 654: >r a total of 1389 teachers for whom , >.-i ions have to be found during the vear.

(hi the other h. M .»d the number of probationarv :r I substituted assistants

required this \ -ar is 460. am. 'li Boards extim: t° the number of ’•eli-v ing teachers required as 355. the pre liable nunil ec th:.* wi'l retire from ih

proLssion 'idling the year as 002, ami the addition il teai iie-s required for new positions as 41: or a total of 1418 primary school teacher positions to be filled during 1928. That the Board’s figures regarding probable vacancies are made out on a conservative basis, is shown by the fact, that the number of teacher contributors who retired under the Superannuation Act last year, was 588. while ther.- were a numbi r of other retirements making the total well over 600, and that Lae average number of new positions during the five years ending 1926 was 185, yet the Boards give the retirements at 562. and th * new positions as only 41. The department lias made careful cai dilations regarding the probable number of new teachers required on several

occasions during the past five years, and its estimates ar? confirmed by the result of the Boards enquiries, which show that, before the end of the year there should be few trained teachers unemployed. unless the teachers confirm their applicat ions to large towns or to certain districts.