NATIONAL SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1736, 29 April 1913, Page 6

NATIONAL SCHOOLS.

THEIR GREATEST PROBLEM. SCARCITY OF MALE TEACHERS. In his report to tho householders of his school district at tho annual meeting in the South AYellington School last evening, Mr. Geo. Flux (headmaster of the school) referred to t'>e danger which threatened tho education system owing to tho constant changes in the personnel of tho staffs of the schools. "I have been led to speak of this," said Mr, Flux, "becauso wo liavo suffered in this particular inoro this year than in any year sinco the school was established. I am not blaming any particular person or body of persons for this state of affairs, least of all tho teachers who have left us in tho endeavour to better their positions. liut it does behove us, i'or the sake of our pupils, far endeavour to find tho cause and tho remedy for a position which is, to a great extent, rendering our efforts nugatory.

Unattractive to Men. "Seeing from the inside, as I do, Ilia extent of tho evil and tho loss occasioned by it, I should be lacking in my duty," said the speaker,- "if 1 did not draw your attention to what I consider the crux of tho matter. I have 110 hesitation in saying that this lies 111 tho miserable pay in the education service, especially, but not entirely, in the lower grades of tho service. It is true that, within recent years, some improvement has been effected, but when it is remembered that tho cost of living has increased correspondingly the improvement has been more apparent than real. "Why is it," asked Mr. Flux, "that there is such a 'dearth of male applicants for the service H Although a considerable number of the best, girl pupils of this school have adopted the teacning profession tliero is not a single example of a boy having done so during the seventeen years of my experience in this school. I am not blind to the fact that some of this shyness 011 tho part of males is the result >of reluctance to face tho years of necessary study and training to fit tlieni for the wol'k—years during which they have to be dependent on their parents for a considerable portion of their support. There is not a similar shyness, however, where law and other professions aro concerned! indeed, a good many of tho mow promising and ambitious young men in this profession only make it a steppingstono to other professions, liecause in them they can satisfy their ambition, and in tho teaching profession they cannot. If the latter is the noble profession we aro so constantly having it diniici(l into our ears that it is, then it is worth pnyin; for. We shall 'never succeed in attract-" ing to, nnd keeping in, the profession the best of our young people, until the public of the Domini,vi grasp this elementary truth. You will naturally say that New Zealand is already spending a largo sum on education, a sum probably relatively larger than a good liiany other States aro paying, Even if tlii," bo grant, ed, it lias to be admitted tlint tho scale 'of payment is failing, and will fail, to attract the brainiest and the most suitable of our young.people, and therefore, wherever else economies may be practised, the public must be prepared to say tho* it must not be in. this direction." Resolutions Adopted, It was subsequently moved, on Mr. Flux's suggestion, and unanimously adopted ' , "1. That teachers' salaries ought to bo increased. "2. That the scarcity of male teachers is a growing menace to tho State, and that steps should bo taken to remedy it. • "3, That tho Government be urged so to improve the financial and other conditions of the teaching professions as to make it more attractive to suitable young people."