EXEMPTION OF TEACHERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16757, 25 January 1918, Page 4

EXEMPTION OF TEACHERS.

BOARD LODGES APPEALS. DEARTH OF EFFICIENT MEN. [ni' TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. Following on the decision arrived at by the Wellington Education Board, appeals were made to the Military Service Board to-day for the exemption of three teachers drawn in the ballot. The secretary of the board, Mr. G. L. Stewart, in support of the appeal, handed in a statement that he was iiwied to make application to the board for the' exemption of the whole of the members of the staff classified in l the Second Division) numbering 62. "The' application is based solely cat the grounds of efficiency," he said. " Hitherto the board has afforded all those in its service the greatest possible facility for enlistment and military service. At the end of last year there were engaged on the teaching staff cf the board I<3 men out of a total staff of 724, including pupil-teachers and probationers. This gives a'percentage of 23.9 of males. In 1913, the year before the war. there were 208 males out of a total of 645. or 32.2 per cent, of males. Concurrently with this reduction" of 35 in the number and 8.3 in percentage, the attendance has increased from 18.829 in 1913 to 21,600 in 1917. Since the outbreak of war, up to the end of 1917, 111 teachers of the board's staff have undertaken military service. The Second Division men are* naturally these holding the more responsible positions in the service. Thirty-three are headmasters * of school* having a staff of two or more, five have sole-teacher schools, 17 are first assistants in schools of 200 pupils or more, and the remainder occupy other assistantships. These cannot be replaced by efficient teachers. Several/of the very largest schools have now only one male assistant in addition to the headmaster, and in a number of instances it has been necessary to substitute women for men in positions always hitherto occupied by men. The dearth of teachers has been such as to compel the board to appoint tea.furs of very slight experience to the charge of small country schools. In addition the board is concerned by the great reduction in the number of men coming into the profession, not nearly sufficient to meet barest requirements." In the case of one teacher for whom appeal was made, exempt'on. sine die was granted on the usual conditions. Thesecond man is classed unfit. The third is engaged in military clerical work in I. indon, and thr ' Education Board desires his return. This matter was deferred, pending an expected regulation dealing with such cases. Mr. M. J. Mack, acting-chairman of the Service Board, intimated that consideration of the general question would be deferred for a week. He thought his board fully appreciated the position.