Teachers' Problem

Hutt News, Volume XII, Issue 22, 17 November 1948, Page 4

Teachers' Problem

LACK OF ACCOMMODATION Mr. W. R. Macaulay informed the Otago Education Board at its last meeting that two women school teachers, aged about 18 years, had been living in a hotel room at Kurow measuring I.2ft by 6f, with no wardrobe, no lire, and no sitting room and that they had paid £2 IBs a week for it. As a member of a deputation from the Kurow District High School Committee Mr. Macaulay was explaining the difficulties' attaching to (finding board for teachers in the district. Mr. Macaulay said that the hotel environment was not a good one for the two teachers, and their room was adjacent to the bar. They had lived tlrere for a month, and had then gone to another hotel in Kurow, where they paid £5 16s a week. The School Committee had endeavoured without success to find private board for them in the district. They were now living temporarily in the Presbyterian manse, but this would not be available to them next year, and they had told the committee that they would seek jobs elsewhere if they wore not foil :i(l accom mod ation.

Mr. D. E. Neave suggested to the board that it could'build a house for the secondary assistant, which would leave his house free for use as a women teachers’ hostel; it could perhaps buy a bouse, at Kurow, although this would be difficult, or it could buy a bouse somewhere else and shift it to Kurow. Otherwise the board might find itself without teachers at the Kurow District High School.

The chairman of the Board, Mr. J. I. Fraser, said that difficulties of this sort existed all over New Zealand. The hoard- could not build a house without the approval of the Education Department. The hoard informed the deputation (hat it would make urgent representations to the department.