INTENSIVE RECRUITING EFFORT FOR TEACHERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 2, 22 June 1949, Page 5

INTENSIVE RECRUITING EFFORT FOR TEACHERS

In view of the fact that Whakatane shares the general shortage of school teachers, considerable local interest will no doubt attach to the Government’s present intensive efforts to recruit more people for that essential calling. Servicemen of World Two who train under the Government’s emergency school teacher training scheme, which starts in September, will receive full credit for their war-time service, which will count as teaching service for salary purposes. This was made clear by the Minister of Education, Mr McCombs, in amplifying several points of the training scheme which he announced recently. Mr McCombs emphasised the splendid opportunities this emergency training scheme offers, not only for servicemen, but for any New Zealander over 21 who originally wanted to become a teacher but who had not had the opportunity. It gives an excellent chance, too, to married women who have been left with dependants. The salary for ex-servicemen and women at the start of their training period will take into account the length of their war service in the New Zealand armed forces, within New Zealand and overseas, with J-Force, or in any of the British Forces. For each year of this war service, the starting salary will be increased by £lO a year over the basic minimum of £325 for single men and £375 for married men.

Applications have already started to come in and they close on July 15. Forms giving details are available at Post Offices, and should be sent to the secretary of • the local Education Board. Prospective teacher trainees will be interviewed by selection committees during July and August. Groups of from 30 to 40 trainees will be chosen to go into each of the training colleges for an intensive course of one year, starting on September 5, the beginning of the 3rd school term.