TEACHERS WANTED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16331, 21 January 1921, Page 6

TEACHERS WANTED.

THE DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY. MINISTER. OF EDUCATION MAKES COMPARISONS. “ The teaching profession offers superior inducements to the Public Service,” said the Minister of Education (Hon C. J. Parr) in tlie course of a statement at Wellington regarding the opportunities ijow awaiting young people, lie was very pleased to notice that tlie improvements made by Parliament last session in the emoluments of young teachers were attracting girls and lads to the training colleges in increasing numbers. When he was in Auckland a fortnight ago over 200 applications for admission to the training college there during the current year had been received. Ha visited Christchurch at the last week-end and was informed by the Education Board that 150 applications lor places in the Training College had been received. These figures were more than double last year's entries. The position might not be quite so good in Wellington, on account of the inducements offered by the Civil Service in the capital city, but he believed that if the young people studied tin* position they would find that the teaching profession had the superior advantages. “ The teacher's life, while a busy one. is not devoid of leisure,” said the Minister. “ The teacher has little or no Saturday work. The holidays amount to nearly three mouths in each year. There is a superannuation fund, which thy State supports to the amount of £46,000 a year. There are opportunities. which w'll increase, for the exchange of teachers between New Zealand and other countries, so that tho young teachers have the chance of going abroad, an advantage that is seldom offered them in the Civil Scr- • The salary conditions for the girl or youth entering a career are better in tho teaching profession than in the Civil Service. Pupil teachers and probationers now receive in their first year £9O if the v are living at home and £l2O if they are compelled to board away from home. The pavments for the second year are £95 and £125. Then at the end of two years the young teachers go to the training college and ther-' receive a first-rate education and training. They attend tlie university and their fees are paid by tho Department. During the two- years’ training at the college tlie Department pays the student £IOO a year it at home and £l3O a year if away from home, boys receiving an additional £5 per annum in each case. Another avenue is open, since Division B students, consisting of young people who have matriculated, go direct to the training colleges without any period of probation at a school, and receive o £Bo a year if at home and £llO a year if away from home during their training period. “ What are tlie prospects after the student leaves the training college? The student can generally get a junior town assistantship at a minimum of £IBO per annum, rising to £230. The teacher who has shown promise at the training college will probably start at £2OO per annum in the city. If tlie student accepts appointment as assist ant in the country, where a large number of appointments are available, he will commence at about £220, rising to £270. Or the j’oiing teacher, fresh from the training college, may secure an even better salary by taking charge of a small country school, where the minimum salary will be £230, rising to £3OO per annum without difficulty. A year or two of service in tho small country school would probably entitle this class of teacher to a grade 2 school, where the salary would range from £2BO to £370. Progress after that would depend upon the teacher himself. “ Tlie new scale is liberal for teachers who do not want schools of their own. Women assistants may roach a salary of £3OO to £3BO quite readily. Men assistants can reach from £390 to ,£4.50 per annum. Head teachers of schools containing about 480 pupils can now reach £6OO per annum. Further promotion may be obtained by entering the inspecting staff, which has now over sixty members. “ A careful scrutiny of the comparative advantages of the teaching profession and the Civil Service will reveal the patent fact that for the promising boy or girl the teaching "profession is better paid and offers a more useful and attractive life than anything in the Civil Service,” added the Minister. “I do not wish to compete with tlie Civil Service for young people, but in view of the propaganda of the Public Service Commissioner, I think it necessary to state the position from the point fit view of the Education Department.”