RATIONED TEACHERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 152, 29 June 1934, Page 5

RATIONED TEACHERS

REPLY TO THE MINISTER ( Per Press Association ). WELLINGTON, June 28. A plea on behalf of rationed school tea’chers is contained in a statement issued to-day by tho Wellington Rationed Teachers’ Association. The statement follows the reply by the Minister of Education (Hon. R. Masters) to a previous statement from the association in which the conditions under which rationed teachers are employed are criticised. “The Minister contradicts our statement that no one is benefiting (from the employment, of rationed teachers at low salaries) but the department,” tho statement reads. ‘‘Perhaps then we should have said that we, on whom the future of the profession will depend, arc most unfairly being asked to hear thc brunt of years of mismanagement in the department. The scheme, was approved bv the. New Zealand Education Institute, declares the Minister, but the scheme was thrust upon them during the vacation, with the committee on holiday, and they wore asked for their approval almost ;/ a day’s notice when no alternative was put before them. The rationed teachers themselves, who were surely most concerned, were forced to accept the scheme without any explanation or consultation. Many of the? rationed teachers have had no continuity of work. They have been moved at random from school to school, spending ft week or two at each, to tho detriment of their own work and that of the scholars under them. That thc scheme has resulted in loss of status and in no immediate hope of future employment is an entirely meaningless statement, we arc told. Tt is not meaningless to us that we are now working for £6O a year, with little prospect of alleviation of the position for the majority or us for at least three years. Many of us have been in service for seven years and may feel at lertst that we nave served an apprenticeship. Are we continually to be dismissed as ‘boys and girls’ or ‘young people’ getting valuable experience, when incidentally we arc also rendering service ror which we are receiving in compensatton Toss than living wage? Many of us wore probationers in 1927. 1928 mid 1929. In 1937 we shall still bo barcry on the threshold of a career.”