SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 203, 22 May 1919, Page 5

SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS

HOW TAITA SCHOOL L<s SUFFERING.' A public meeting of tho .residents of the Taita district was held on Tuesday evening in the schoolroom to consider the present unsatisfactory position in regard to the teaching staff. Mr A. Burgess, chairman of the School Committee, presided. It was pointed out that the school has suffered severely for tho last eighteen months on account of change of teachers. Last year, on several occasions, the school (which has an average attendance of about 120 scholars), was without the services of one of the assistant teachers. At the present time, though the infant mistress sent in her resignation on February 21, and actually vacated her position at the end of April, uo substitute has been supplied by the Education Board. A new teacher has been appointed, but will not be able to take up her duties till July 1, the consequence is that the head teacher (Mr. Phillip) has to teach six classes in two rooms, which means ho can neither do justice to himself nor to tho children. The chairman explained- that the Education Board had done all in its power to find a teacher, but without euccoss. Tho present position was a most serious one, and unless some effective stops wero taken to replenish tho teaching staffs throughout the Dominion, the whole education system was in danger of collapsing. The children, in many of our schools were not receiving the training aiid teaching they wero entitled to, and it was a matter of regret that the Government did not realise the seriousness of tho question and make provision for tho payment of salaries sufficiently high to attract the host talent in the country. There was no more important, duty on tho part of any Government than to insure by every means in its power that tho rising general ion should have every facility to obtain as full and complete an education as it was possible to give,' and this could not be done by keeping the teaching staff to tho highest point of ofliciency it was possible to attain, both in respect of numbers und nualilications. It. was finally resolved that a deputation consisting of tho chairman, Mr. Burgess, and Mr. M'Arthur, wait oil the School Committees' Association with.the object of forming a deputation to wait on tho Minister of Education and urge on the Government the necessity of offering greater inducements to young people to enter th'e> leaching profession, as being tho only 'liiethod of dealing with the crisis that has arisen owing to the lack of certificated teachers.