Desperately Short Of Teachers

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30980, 9 February 1966, Page 14

Desperately Short Of Teachers

(New Zealand Press Association/ WELLINGTON, February 8. “Secondary schools are still desperately short of experienced well qualified teachers,” said Mr J. R. Caldwell president of the PostPrimary Teachers’ Association in Wellington today.

He was commenting on new recruitments measures announced by the Minister of Education (Mr Kinsella). These were widespread advertising in Britain and an increased quota of secondary teachers amount the assisted Immigrants. “My association disagrees strongly however with the Minister’s preference for easily housed single teachers. We need single teachers but the emphasis must be placed on the recruitment of married teachers who, having shifted, will be more likely to stay in New Zealand,” said Mr Caldwell. Last year 583 out of 5792 positions were vacant or unsatisfactorily filled in 250 schools, he said. Urgent remedies were necessary in both town and country to deal

with this disastrous situation. “Housing is of prime importance. The country housing scheme has wrought a great improvement, but there is still an unsatisfied demand for country housing.” Mr Caldwell said that four Wellington secondary principals told him that staffing was acute and that the provision of teacher rental housing was the major remedy. Housing would have allowed them to recruit 12 well-quali-fied British teachers, all needed in key areas.