SIX SCHOOLS CLOSED IN TARANAKI

Southland Times, Issue 24759, 2 June 1942, Page 5

SIX SCHOOLS CLOSED IN TARANAKI

SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS (Special) NEW PLYMOUTH, June 1. Six schools in the Taranaki Education Board’s district are closed because of a shortage of teachers. The secretary, Mr H. W. Insull, has sent a letter to the Minister of Education, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, stating that the board is seriously concerned over the difficulty of procuring teachers, particularly for country schools, and for those large schools of more than 250 pupils, where no male assistant is in charge of the older boys. In addition to 90 out of 152 male teachers already lost by the board, said Mr Insull, a number of head teachers in two-teacher schools had requested the board to grant them leave of absence to attend Home Guard special training. They would then probably be appointed to a district command and be lost to the schools. Instancing the difficulties experienced with applications for the release of teachers from .the Army, _ Mr Insull said the man-power committee recommended the release of five men out of 10 appealed for. So far only one had returned to teaching from his military duties and no action had been taken over the other four. “Generally speaking, the question is one of Government policy between the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Education,” Mr Insull said, “and the personal wishes of the teachers do not come into the matter. Many teachers, by virtue of their education and training, make excellent officers and non-commissioned officers, and consequently their commanding officers are reluctant to release them. On the other hand, these are the very teachers whose absence from their positions casts the darkest shadow on the education of the future generation.”