UNEMPLOYED TEACHERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21509, 4 December 1931, Page 6

UNEMPLOYED TEACHERS.

We publish this morning a letter from the president of the Wellington branch of the Women Teachers’ Association which; while generally urging the desirability of the adoption of measures for the relief of unemployment among women, may probably, in view, of its source, be assumed to relate more particularly to the problem of the unemployment of women teachers. It is, of course, not only among women members of the teaching profession that the lack of any demand for their services is seriously felt, for there are a great many male teachers in the Dominion who are out of employment at the present time. The position in Otago is, probably, not dissimilar in this respect from that in other parts of New and the severity of it has impressed itself on the Otago Education Board to such an, extent that at its last meeting it expressed its approval of a proposal under which teachers in employment should, where possible, accept leave of absence without salary in order that temporary work may be provided for less fortunate members of their profession. The local branch of the Educational Institute has not so far shown any disposition to co-operate actively with the Board in bringing this scheme into operation. It has been content to give an assurance that it has no objection to teachers being approached on the subject. The initiative is left, therefore, to individual teachers, who are free to act as conscience dictates. It is to be recognised that, in common with other sections of the community that are in receipt of salaries and wages, teachers have recently had their earnings reduced, and it is probable that many of them, though they may have retained their positions, are experiencing a strain upon their resources. Nevertheless, it is suggested that the circumstances of many of the teachers, particularly of the women teachers, are sufficiently favourable to enable them, if they so desire, to apply for an extended holiday without pay. Women form the majority of unemployed teachers in Otago at the present time, and to some of them an opportunity of securing temporary employment would doubtless- be most welcome.. No satisfactory national scheme for the relief of unemployed women in New Zealand has been drawn up, and the results of the deliberations of a committee which was appointed some time ago to consider the question have not yet been divulged. It is unlikely that when a scheme is evolved it will be of a kind that will adequately meet all the cases of unemployment, and it is even possible that the conditions under which the scheme would be operated might not prove especially acceptable to unemployed members of the teaching profession. If teachers could see their way to provide some measure of relief to those among their number who are in distress; they would be performing a service that would be greatly appreciated. The Otago Education Board has indicated the manner in which some teachers at least can help the less fortunate of thejr number.