SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27078, 12 May 1949, Page 9

SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

INTENSIVE TRAINING COURSE PLANNED PA WELLINGTON, May 10. To relieve the immediate shortage of teachers in New Zealand, the Edu-cation-Department intends to start an emergency training scheme at the five training colleges. This was announced by the Minister of Education, Mr McCombs, addressing the conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute. There was an estimated shortage in the Dominion of about 50 teachers, he said, and the deficiency would grow during the year as more children enrolled and teachers left for one reason or another. The scheme would be an intensive one-year course, limited to promising persons over 20 years of age. An appeal .would also be made to married women teachers and superannuitants to offer their services, even on a part-time basis, in districts where the shortage was acute, the Minister added. Other measures mentioned by the Minister included asking teachers to postpone requests for extended leave, and shortening the probationary period for a certain proportion of students. Mr McCombs said 58 per cent, more teachers were in training now than in 1945.