PUPIL-TEACHERS WANTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14586, 24 January 1911, Page 6

PUPIL-TEACHERS WANTED.

THE ASSISTANT-MISTRESS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

CnßisTCmmcH, Monday. The North Canterbury Education Board requires a large number of pupil-teachers just at present. This .is somewhat remarkable in view of recent proposals to abolish the pupil-teachers and to substitute in their place assistant-mistresses. .The proposal was not given effect to because of the scarcity of teachers qualified as assistant-mistresses, but, according to the chairman of the Board (Mr. C. 11. A. T. Opie), there are • now more assistant-mis-tresses available than at the time the proposal was abandoned. Headmasters in Canterbury are anxious to substitute trained mistresses for pupil-teachers, and have made representations to that effect, which have been approved by tho Board, and forwarded to the Department. Mr. Opie is doubtful, however, if women teachers will be found willing to go to country schools in view of the shortness of women workers in the city, and the loss of all that town life involves. He thinks it is likely that rather than isolate themselves in the country women teachers, who cannot get posts in towns, will take to domestic" or factory work. In the case of unmarried women teachers, the Board sometimes has applications to provide them with residences in the country districts, but it has not seen its way to grant such requests, as it in considered undesirable that unmarried women teachers should live by themselves in the vicinity of the school, and probably far removed from other buildings.