SUPPLY OF TEACHERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 28 April 1927, Page 7

SUPPLY OF TEACHERS.

POSITION IN OTAGO. By Telegraph—Press Association. DUNEDIN, April 27. At to-day’s meeting of the Otago Education Board, the chairman (Mr J. Wallace) referred to the reports which had been circulated, deploring the large number of unemployed teachers in Otago. These reports appeared to suggest that the Otago Board was training more teachers than it required, but this was far from the case. Mr AVallaee then requested the secretary of the Board to report on the actual position. The secretary reported that a few isolated facts had given a wrong' impression. At the present moment there were 9 2 teachers on the Board’s relieving list, 43 of whom completed their Training College course at the end of last year, 15 at the end of 1925, 24 at the end of 1924, and 10 were probationary assistants. Of these 20 would not, or could not, accept general relieving work. A number had resigned for private reasons, or had not accepted positions offered them. A number of others were graded 220 or lower, and would find it difficult to secure permanent positions. A number of those graded 205 or higher had been picking and choosing the positions, for which they applied, as seven positions had been filled this year with teachers of much lower grading. The Board did not blame a teacher for waiting for a particular position, but he should not hold the Board and the Department responsible for his unemployment while waiting for such a position to turn up. Of 90 teachers available for employment, 6 3 bad received employment this ‘year. A number of teachers were on the relieving list, because they preferred to remain there.