The West Coast Times. FRIDAY JUNE 14, 1912. SCARCITY OF TEACHERS.

West Coast Times, 14 June 1912, Page 2

The West Coast Times. FRIDAY JUNE 14, 1912. SCARCITY OF TEACHERS.

The now familiar cry for teachers which was hoard at the meeting of the Westland Education Board this week, resounded from the Southland Education Board last week when a rather remarkable proposal was made and affirmed. The inspectors reported that there were 11G uncertificatod teachers in the service of the Board on December 31, 1911, since which date six had resigned and fifty had either wholly or partially qualified. If any concession was to bo granted on account of faithful and efficient work they named seven entitled to consideration. AH of the 116 with the exception of twenty six had either made an effort to improve themselves or had only been a short time in tho Board’s service, and it was decided that notices besent to those informing them that if they failed to give evidence of some effort to improve their literary qualifications their position would be advertised next year. Mr. J. Fisher, a member of the Board, moved:—“ That, tho continued scarcity of certificated teachers is viewed with grave misgivings by this board; that, notwithstanding the improved conditions for training teachers as provided in the establishment of training colleges', the number of qualified teachers available yearly does not exceed those necessary to fill replacements, and the board is of opinion that the present institution and tho lack of applicants for admission to the teaching profession will not permit of tho unshtisfactoi'y state of teachers pow current being remedied, unions some bolder methods are taken. The Board respectfully requests tho central authorities to communicate with the Education Department in Groat Britain as to the introduction of an adequate supply of certificated teachers of good character to Now Zealand to fill positions where schools are insufficiently staffed and to prevent

our rural school standard of teaching being reduced to a dangerously low level, and our national system therefore endangered. That the department, in co-operation with the hoards, take steps to introduce to New Zealand annually such a number of certificated teachers as will reasonable meet the needs of the Dominion in efficiently staffing its schools, and a copy of tho resolution be sent to each Education Board in the Dominion, asking for co-operation.” Mr. Fisher said they had evidence the previous evening when Considering appointments that they could not get certificated teaelfei'R. In some eases, In fact, no teachV

era at all offered themselves for the vacancies. They had been staffing) some of their back-blocks schools with teachers without qualifications, so the teaching must come to a low level, and as the number of these small schools was largo, the aggregate tuition in them must reduce the efficiency in the whole Dominion. In England there were a great number of teachers 'thoroughly qualified who could not get appointments, and an effort should be made to draw from this source.

New Zealand could do with 200 teachers a year for the next four or five years, without doing injury to anyone in this country, while ho felt sure that teachers in England in indigent circumstances with qualifications would be willing to come out. The list the Board had before it on Thursday evening disclosed a deplorable state of affairs. The seconder of the motion said that out of twenty appointments they had to make the previous even-

ing, for four there were no applicants, for seven only one, and in four other cases only two applicants, showing the dearth of teachers. When in England a short time ago he was told that there were thousands of teachers who could not obtain appointments. Another member thought an investigation to see why the profession was not more attractive might render it unnecessary to go to England for teachers. The Chairman of the Board (Mr. Gilchrist) said he approved of the motion, and, referring to the scarcity or lack of all kinds, said ho was speaking to a drover the other day who told him that he was earning £4 a week. This fact, howInncftnefl fVin miTnhrtr fir

ever, did not increase the number of drovers. Mr. Fisher thought no certificated teacher should receive less than £l2O to £l4O a year, no matter the size of the school. The resolution was carried unanimously, and it was decided that a copy of it bo sent to each Education Board in the Dominion for its co-operation. The matter is one entirely for the Government. It the remuneration offered is not sufficient to induce bright and intelligent Now Zealanders to go in for the teaching profession—and we believe in many cases it is not sufficient —then the burden lies upon the Government which has appropriated the control of education, to sec to it that our educational system is organised in such a way as to attract at least a share of the very best young men and women of the Dominion. As is mentioned above, the standard of our education cannot rise above the standard of the teachers and of, holding out iudiicomc/it securing the services of the very best teachers and holding out inducement to them to give of their very best.