TEACHERS’ HOUSES

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 278, 23 August 1945, Page 5

TEACHERS’ HOUSES

Acute Shortage In Wellington EDUCATION BOARD’S CONCERN

The acute l shortage of residences for teachers hxnnod large in discuss'iims at the monthly meeting of the Wellington Education Board yesterday.. A cominiiilical ion was received from tile Ediiealion Departmeiit. stating that it appreciated the unfortunate position in which many head teachers hmml themselves owing to the present acute tdlorlage of houses, and was endeavouring Io remedy lhe position in country district* by creeling houses as rapidly as available supplies of material ami labour would permit. Having regard to the present shortage of building materials and labour, and the large number of country di«Iriels where head teachers were unable to’rent houses, lhe department would he unable Io submit a favourable recommendation lo lhe Minister of Education in regard lo the board’s proposal to provide residential accominodiilion for the head teacher of Jim Brooklyn School. The. chairman. Mr. W. V. Dyer, said it was very evident tlmt the writer of the letter had only a hazy idea of the position. Mr. N. R. Scddon agreed with the chairman, pointing out tlmt the headmaster of lhe Brooklyn School had had to go as far afield as I’aekakariki to find a residence.

On the motion of the chairman, it was decided to refer the letter back to the Education Di'partmeiit. informing it that no reasons had been given in its letter why a residence should not be provided for the headmaster of the Brooklyn School. Plea for Assistant Teachers. "As you are probably aware,” wrote the secretary of the New Zealand Educational Institute, Mr. G. R. Ashbridge, “the executive of the N.Z. Educational Institute is particularly concerned at the present time about the desperate position of many teachers, specially married assistant, teachers with families, who are experiencing file greatest difficulty in securing housing and accommodation. The position is particularly acute in urban areas, where the general housing situation is totally inadequate. Tim executive has directed me to inquire what your board’s policy is with regard to the provision of suitable housing for assistant teachers in its employ. The executive understands tlmt the board has under consideration plans for the erection of a number of schools in the Wellington suburban areas to serve the now Government housing estates. I understand that sites for new primary and intermediate schools have already been allocated on blocks of land in each area where houses are being erected. The executive would like to know what steiis your board took when these school sites were allocated to have an adequate number of Stale houses or residential building sites in close proximity to these proposed schools reserved for the housing of the teachers who will.be ryquired to serve in these pew schools.” Tlie chairman said that, the board thus far had confined its attention to the provision of residences for headmasters, and only with indifferent success. They bud not been able to convince the Government, that residences should be provided for teachers. It was decided to request tlm Government to set aside Government houses for teachers, who would, of course, have to pay the Government housing rate. It was decided to. request the Minister of Education, who is also Attorney-Gen-eral. to endeavour to have school teachers residences exempted from the provisions of the Fair Rents Act.