UNEMPLOYED TEACHERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22293, 20 June 1934, Page 12

UNEMPLOYED TEACHERS

RATIONING OF WORK The year commenced with 203 teacher* on the unemployment register and ended with 183 (states the annual report of the Otago Education Beam). Otagd actually had more than its share; of unemployed teachers, and, if the Dominion total (1615 at May 31) could have been distributed among the boards on- the basis of the number of their permanent adult- -teacher* triet at that date would Jiave- been 158, or 33 les s than the actual number.: At The result was that, under the type of rationing scheme in force, more than one-half the teachers were always ■ without iwonc. The hoard decided that in order to relieve the position It should create as much work as possible, and-the payment,,Of a uniform rate for all relieving.work trts, refarded as a sound means of achieving, this, n addition to the special _ sayinjjf:thus created, the board found it was making a substantial saving under the department’s scheme,, i.c., after paying for tha additional assistants, allotted to it, ther* was still sufficient saving to have warranted the employment of more additional assistants, although on the department’* figures there did not appear- to be any Dominion surplus under the (scheme. As approval was not forthcoming for the utilisation, in this district of the savings that were being effected, the board, accepted 'itself- the responsibility of making work for those most in need and provided from its own funds close on £4OO for the purpose. . The.position at the end of the year was that 26 teachers had received more than two terms work; 51,-tw® terms; 73, between one and two terms; seven, one term; 12, less than one term; and 14, because of home or study reasons, no work. . Since the inception of the rationing scheme, two years ago, the board has given the subject much thought in th* hope of arriving at some better solution of the problem. The board’s views wera summed up in the following extract from a statement made in October: —“It. doe* not seem much use fixing on a rationed rate of £IOO per annum or .more when no one has a chance of earning more than £SO or £6O during the year. Next yea* will commence with close on 2000 teacher* without permanent work —some 250 mor* than this year. . This board believes it will be much better, to keep them all employed the whole year and pay an amount running from, say £SO to-£65, accordingto the unemployed teacher’s grading, with lodging allowance additional whenever necessary. The funds available will not allow of a higher rate of remuneration. In the place of months of .idleness and uncertainty, the unemployed would haye the incentive of a definite year’s work, they would receive valuable teaching experience, while the schools would benefit by continuity of te'acher.”