SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24906, 20 June 1946, Page 3

SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

“ DESPERATE POSITION ” IN AUCKLAND ASSISTANCE FROM OTAGO SOUGHT • The Press ’ Special Service DUNEDIN, June 19. “Are we overstaffed with teachers in Otago? Can we spare teachers to help other provinces, or is this just another case of the south being expected to come to the assistance of the north?” asked Mr D. C. Cameron, when the Otago Education Board was to-day considering an inquiry from the Department of Education whether Otago was in a position to. help the Auckland board with relieving teachers, or even with extra probationary assistants. The department had advised that Auckland was in'a desperate position for relieving teachers. Further advice to the inspectors stated that in Auckland the art. physical, and other specialist teachers, and also soldiers attending refresher courses had all been pressed into teaching positions in an attempt to meet the needs of schools, while those who had not completed their training (probationary assistants and training college students) had in some -cases been required to take full classes. The secretary, Mr G. W. Carrington, reported that three Otago teachers had been sent to Auckland at the . beginning of this term. Otago had no more relieving teachers, but schools in the province were not suffering, and many of them were better off than they were last year, because of the filling of positions created for soldier-teachers. Mr N. H. Colquhoun suggested that there were some probationary teachers who had been filling supernumerary positions for two years or more, and they might be prepared to go to Auckland. Members agreed that assistance should be given to Auckland if that could be done without prejudicing the position in Otago, and a motion referring the question to the chairman, secretary. and inspectorate, with power to act ; was carried.