ENLISTMENT OF TEACHERS

Southland Times, Issue 23953, 20 October 1939, Page 8

ENLISTMENT OF TEACHERS

PROCEDURE AGREED UPON DEPARTMENT’S ATTITUDE DEFINED The attitude of the Education Department on the subject _ o'f teachers joining the armed forces is denned in a circular which was read at the peeling of the Southland Boys’ and Girls High Schools Board yesterday afternoon. , , The Education Department has discussed with the Army and the Air Force departments, the circular stated, means by which the disorganization of schools resulting from teachers joining the armed forces can be reduced to a minimum. It is not desired to place any obstacle in the way of teachers offering their services, but it is agreed by all departments concerned that in some special cases it may be m the national welfare to delay for a short period the calling up of teachers to allow of boards making satisfactory arrangements for the carrying on of their work. The procedure agreed upon by the Education, Army and Air departments is as follows: (1) Boards are advised to instruct teachers in their service to notify the controlling boards immediately on enlisting. The application for leave of absence must be sent in later, after the teacher has been actually accepted for service. (2) In the case of any teacher whom it will be specially difficult to replace, a board is advised to write to the Director of Education stating (a) The name of the teacher, the nature of his school duties and his rank and expected duties in the armed forces, (b) Reasons why it is anticipated that his position in the school will be specially difficult to fill, (c) The length of time the board considers it will take to replace the teacher satisfactorily. (3) The department will consider each case and will forward the names to the Army and Air departments with its recommendations. The Army and Air department will then take steps wherever possible to delay calling up of such teachers until a reasonable time has been given to provide satisfactory substitutes in the schools.

(4) The Air Department will not find it possible to adopt this procedure in the case of teachers called up as members of the Civil Reserve of pilots' but as these are all young men between 18 and 25 years of age and as the Air Department will give reasonable notice, no great hardship should result from their being called up when required.