TRAINED SCHOOL TEACHERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 May 1939, Page 5

TRAINED SCHOOL TEACHERS

POSITIONS FOR ALL DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION REPLIES TO STATEMENT [United Preu Association] WELLINGTON, This Day. In ah interview to-day the Director of Education, Mr N. T. Lambourne, referred to a statement made yesterday before the conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute to the effect that under present conditions there must be a piling up of a large number of teachers for whom, under the present methods of staffing, there will be unemployment. Mr Lambourne said that although there were teachers who had not yet secured permanent positions there was absolutely no unemployment among

teachers who could go where their services were required. Every trained teacher, married or single, who could be given effective service and who had not yet secured a permanent appointment but who was prepared to accept service where required could secure continuous employment immediately, either as a relieving teacher or as a supernumerary teacher.

As every December a large number of students complete their training and 1 become certificated there must inevit- ! ably be, said Mr Lambourne, almost an equally large number of teachers without permanent positions during the first term or two of the year, but this supply is rapidly absorbed during the year because of wastage due to marriage, retirement on superannuation and death. During the past year or two such wastage has been approximately 500 a year. Furthermore relieving teachers are in constant demand through various causes. In February alone 387 were thus employed. All this goes to show that it is impossible to continue to staff schools adequately throughout the year if at the beginning of the year every teacher is in a fixed permanent position.

There was a time, continued Mr Lambourne, when a teacher ,vho could not obtain a permanent or relieving position remained unemployed as a teacher; now teachers are assured of continuous work in the profession for which they have trained.

There is, moreover, he said, another very important aspect of the matter. The Government wishes to reduce the size of classes and to raise the school leaving age, and it is impossible to attempt this unless there is an adequate supply of teachers for the purpose. Recent information, said the Director in conclusion, is to the effect that the supply of teachers av; Table for appointment is rapidly diminishing. One district has already called upon another j for teachers and two or three others j will be doing so very shortly. There I is, therefore, no unemployment among teachers nor any likelihood o f there | being so.