THE TEACHING PROFESSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18333, 24 February 1923, Page 7

THE TEACHING PROFESSION.

' Sir, Justice" is very concerned: '? that : some married women teachers i are being retained in/ their positions, while trainees are not yet allocated "co " positions the school"yea?-being. now in its third . week. It • would be strange indeed r if ' the large number of students trained since , Mr. Parr became Minister for Education, . oould be allocated in bo short a time. It was understood that the extra number of v students in .training ' was to - enable the' schools to ' have better staffing and smaller classes, v The position ' will be worse next ; year ' and each succeeding - year. Pupil-teachers are being attracted by good salaries ; and a university education (to those who live in town), then a two years' course at a Normal College during which time they receive a salary with allowances not much / leas • than < many assistant ■; teachers in •charge of over : 70 children in • large schools are receiving. ; 'This is' where the attraction ends for many young : people. Some years ago similar condi- . , tions arose in the. Homeland. .. The teaching profession was made very attractive 7 to girls in secondary schools and colleges. They were trained without the-drudgery . of years ; of practical teaching and launched into the teaching profession af- »■ ter two or three years at a training col- £ lege, with a full or partial university de—. "> gree. This went on for three or four years when a great outcry arose. Hundreds of young teachers' could find no employment after being trained. They, had all signed the usual agreement to" en- • gage in teaching for a given number of / years after leaving college, but the agreement did not stipulate that employment., would be ? provided for them; thai was .. quite overlooked. .. Hundreds of • young K trainees, were waiting in tea rooms, Reav- .' ing in shops, • addressing envelopes, doing domestic work, or anything that - they - J could find ,to keep "the wolf from, the door, '. The general public ?• would • have • know® very little about it. but the London (daily lepers . took .' up .the; matter for' several weeks. .What was .the result? Such a : ,. supply of -hungry- teachers, eager and'-. willing tor work, wrought a great. change. k'f Education boards, which r are numerous -in England, decided >on : a great retrenchment. They— led by East ; Ham—formulated new scales of salaries entailing large ' reductions'. All teachers were" given a I months' notice and a , form of application to apply for their present position under; the new reduced scale. The National Union of Teachers told those concerned that if they called out every teacher affected it would; be of no avail as there were enough unemployed trained : teachers to fill every position vacated. When the supply of teachers exceeds the demand salaries will be reduced here as in v other, places. If all married teachers were dismissed this year, , the same condition would prevail next February. Over-production of teachers by the Education Department, means ultimate reduction of salaries whether teachers are single or married. I&PEKEKNCED.