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1936 and 1940 the proportion of women , students admitted to the training colleges was about 160 to every 100 men. During the war years the proportion of women students was increased to almost three to one. For various reasons, the number of women teachers who leave the service after only a few years is relatively high. The very years in which the increasing rolls created a demand for additional staff saw a considerable loss from this source. It is estimated that of all women entering the training colleges in the five years 1941 to 1945 only 49 per cent, were still teaching in the primary schools in 1948, while about 38 per cent, had given up teaching and about 13 per cent, had taken up specialist work or gone to post-primary and private schools and into other educational services. The number of sole-charge and two-teacher rural public primary schools fell from 1,670 in 1938 to 1,303 in 1948. This reduction is due chiefly to consolidation, but nevertheless difficulties were experienced in keeping country schools adequately staffed. The proportion of positions filled by relieving teachers increased, and there remained vacancies for which no teachers could be found. These difficulties are partly due to lack of suitable board and accommodation, and partly to the reluctance of younger teachers who are studying for the University degrees to accept positions in country schools. The whole question, which it would seem cannot merely be solved by salary .adjustments, has received urgent consideration. All the above factors affecting teacher supply are being carefully examined, and .action has been taken to meet the shortages disclosed. First of all, measures were taken to increase the number of trainees. The number of students admitted to the training ■colleges had been increased by 50 in 1947, and the opening of the fifth training college ■at Ardmore at the beginning of 1948 made it possible to increase the number of entrants by a further 300, making a total of 1,050. As a temporary measure the number of specialist third-year students had to be reduced to 21. It has been possible to find .sufficient applicants for the increased intake in 1948 without lowering the standard of •qualification for admission to the training college. To meet the immediate shortages in the supply of teachers, married women were encouraged to resume teaching in relieving positions, and the existing regulations governing a married teacher's salary were eased for this purpose. Moreover, a number of second-year students volunteered to act as relieving teachers for short periods during the third term in 1948. More detailed plans have been made to meet the shortage of teachers which it must be expected will continue to exist in 1949. The Syllabus and Publications The whole of the primary-school curriculum has now come under review. During the year committees comprising teachers and officers of the Department were set up to revise the syllabuses in speech-training, in woodwork and metalwork, and in domestic science. The Reading Syllabus Revision Committees reported in September, 1948, and their reports were circulated to teachers for comment through National Education. •Comment was similarly invited on the Report of the Physical Education Syllabus Revision Committee. Towards the end of the year the Music Syllabus Revision Com mitt,p.p. submitted a comprehensive report, which will be published as soon as possible. The Art and Crafts Syllabus Revision Committee's report is to be published early in 1949. During the year teachers welcomed the publication of a booklet which included syllabuses in health education, oral expression, written expression, spelling, arithmetic, history and geography, and needlework. It was followed by the revised syllabus in nature-study in similar form. The publication of text-books and teachers' manuals to meet the demands of the revised syllabuses has been continued. During the year textbooks in English for Standards 3 and 4 and reprints of the arithmetic text-bo'oks for Standards 1 and 2 were put into the schools. Towards the end of the year the copy

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