TEACHERS' LEAVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 57, 5 September 1944, Page 3

TEACHERS' LEAVE

REHABILITATION PLAN

SUGGESTION APPROVED

The suggestion that a teacher who, in return from overseas cervice, might want to retire from the profession should first of all be offered leave of absence up to 12 months until he had settled down, was made in a letter to the Board of Managers of the Wellington Technical College from the Director of Education. The board, at a meeting last night, approved of the idea. "In the Public Service cases have already come to the notice of. the Commissioner where officers on demobilisa-' tion from the Armed Forces have resigned . immediately in order to underI take other employment," stated the letter. "Teachers may desire to follow a similar course; it has been decided, therefore, to circularise all boards as follows: — . • "No one wishes in any way: to oppose the individual's right of choosing his occupation on his return from military service, but it is felt that in some cases a teacher's desire for a change may be brought about by inability to settle down. In such circumstances he may, at a later date, desire re-appoint-

fitness,

ment to the teaching service, with consequent hardships to himself, such as loss of service for superannuation and grading. In order to avoid such cases, as far as possible, it is suggested that, when a teacher on returning from military service submits his resignation, he should be asked whether he would prefer to be granted a period of leave without pay in order that be may be certain that the action he contemplates is the correct one. The period of leave granted would be 'twelve months or such shorter time as is desired, so that the question of whether he wished to remain in the teaching service would be determined before any. loss pf superannuation rights entered into the matter. At the end of this special leave period, if still of the same mind, he_ could, of course, submit his resignation and obtain a refund of any superannuation contributions to" his credit. During the period of special leave, superannuation contributions would be payable by the teacher him- « h!^ a£ man ' r- W. A. Appleton, said that there would be many.cases 5- j'"i6? who returned unsettled and didn t know what to do. He ventured to say that, in many cases, they would return to their jobs. There would have to be a lot of tolerance and understanding in rehabilitation and he thought the idea was to be com--mended. • .