TEACHERS WITHOUT WORK

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 117, 15 February 1928, Page 10

TEACHERS WITHOUT WORK

“DISHEARTENING AND DEMORALISING” SUGGESTION TO RELIEVE POSITION Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, February 14. Unemployment among school teachers was a subject discussed at this morning’s conference of the Federation of South Island School Committees’ Associations. It was resolved to stress the necessity of coatinuity of employment for Traming College students who are on the teaching market. The question arose through the tabling of a notice of motion as follows“ That this conference of South Island School Committees’ ilssociations deplore the fact that, under the existing system, there is no guarantee of employment for student teachers on the expiration of their riod of training, and considers it imperative, in the interests of primary education, that provision should be made for continuity of employment o n the lines of the recommendations submitted to the department by the special committee set up by the conference of educational bodies held in Christchurch in August last.” Mr. G. P. Purnell, chairman of the federation, said that he had personal experience of the unemployment among school teachers launching out on their careers, and he knew of some, of the younger members of the profession who had been, waiting for three years for a situation. It was most disheartening, and demoralising for teachers, launching out on their chosen career, to be out work for lengthy periods. These student teachers were held by the department by bond, yet they could not get woik Tne excuse was made by those responsible for the organisation that teachers would not go out into the country, • but the speaker knew of a number of qualified ladies out of work, who were. prepared to go anywhere at all for employment. Quite a lot of use could be made of the unemployed teachers by using them as supernumeraries big metropolitan primary schools. 'Continuity. of service was' most essential; and could not be over-stressed.

Mr. A. W. Jones, in seconding the motion, stated that the biggest problem the department had to contend with was the- large number of females who entered the teaching profession. Girls generally, the speaker said, stayed longlit at school, gained matriculation, higher leaving, and in some cases two or three sections of their D certificates before they applied for entry to the various training colleges. Thus the female applicants had an advantage over the average male, who left school without the qualifications of the young lady. Often, when there . were vacancies for junior positions, the applicants included one qualified male and six or seven fily qualified females. Mr. R. Arinit expressed the opinion that there should be a restriction on the number of students entered in the training colleges until the unemployment uolilent was overcome.

The appointment of new applications to the ■ training colleges, when the old appointees had not been absorbed, was criticised by Mr. J. H. O’Dell. He was of opinion that the, profession was overstocked, and that many teachers could not be absorbed....... .

Mr. T. W. West expressed the opin. ion that the over-supply of teachers would last for another two years at least. ■ . - • ‘ The motion was carried.