"HOODWINKED!"

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11028, 17 March 1914, Page 6

"HOODWINKED!"

YOUNG TEACHER'S COMPLAINT. AFTER COSTLY TRAINING. IDLE AT THE END. " Our parents haue been hoodwinked and we have been hoodwinked," was the angry complaint mndo by a young school teacher in conversation with a "Star" represcntatire to-day. "We have been led -to give years of our lives to the acquisition, of the academic knowledge and practical skill necessary to fib Ufl for tho teaching profession, and at the end pf our period of training we are thrown on tho streets idle!" • The position as explained by tho young teacher whose remarks have been quoted certainly seemed a hard one. , ,

LONG TRAINING ON A NEGLIGIBLE SALARY. " When I was leaving school and looking out for a' situation," he said, " the newspapers were full of stories concerning the alleged shortage x of teachers. I wanted to be a teacher, but I hesitated before entering the profession, for I knew that the training meant four years of practically absolute dependence on my people, the salary offered being little more than sufficient to keep me in books. My father, though by no means well off, persuaded me to follow my vocation, and pointed out to me that at the end of my training it was certain that I should obtain a situation at a reasonably good salary, since there were not nearly sufficient men to fill- the vacancies. I followed his advice, lived on his slender resources for four years, and now I am, at the end of my training college career j thrown on the streets, idle."

Continuing, the young lhan said that ho had put in two years as a pupil teacher at an average-salary of £SO a year. College l'6es and the price of books had consumed practically all of this, and lie had 1 been dependent _on His people for the necessaries of_ life. •He had then entered the Normal Training College, and remained there for two yars.

THE IRONY OF THE BOND. " Now, here the irony of the position becomes more apparent." he said. " Before J entered the Training College my father had to sign a bond which rendered him liable to forfeit a large sum of money—£6o, I believe — in the event of my not actually engaged in teaching during five years out of the eight years., after I should leave the college. "Whilst there I was paid the princely sum of 12s 6d a week. At' the end of my two years there- I was given the privilege or shaking hands with the principal, who civilly bade me ' Good morning,' and I walked out to join the unemployed. I am at leisure, now. The Education Board is giving me my three years' furlough in advance, T suppose, so that j may apply myMf to. work earnestly during the other five years or the eight, and save my father's money. I may sit on the seats around the Godley statue all day. and watch the other people going about their work. But. unfortunately, that won't, buy the child a frock. ? as the saying is." CAN'T GET MANUAL WORK.

" I have tried to get work everywhere," continued the youth ruefully. " The Tramway Board refused to let mo wash down their cars, and no honorarium was" to be obtained from the freezing works for cleansing intestines, ot any other work for which my .education and training may or may not fit. me. I am a loose end, and the only business in ■which I can he neatly tucked' doesn't want mo. I.- am one of the. out-of-works." This gospel of despair -was' preached bv others who were .spoken to. It appears that of the number,.who left the Normal Training College atithe end of last year some five men are out of work." One of these is about to receive a little relieving work, but the rest are still on the search. Two of these have their C certificates, and the other.three have the I) or partial D certificates. The C certificate demands a standard of education approximately equal to that required by Junior University scholarship, and the examiners have to be satisfied in a bewildering number of subjects before it is granted. It is stated that a number of women teachers who have passed' through the college are also idle. .

"WHY TRAIN FOR NOTHING?" "What Ave want to know is," added a disgruntled teacher, " why do -they get us to waste four years of our youth in training by talking about the scarcity of teachers, and then, at the end of our training! leave us in the lurch, a burden on our parents?"