TEACHERS’ PLIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1933, Page 8

TEACHERS’ PLIGHT

MANY WITHOUT POSITIONS. REDUCING LARGE CLASSES. WELLINGTON, November 11. Th» serious nature of unemployment ( iamong 'teachers is reviewed by the executive of the New Zealand Educational Institute in a supplement- to its official organ. National Education. It , if! stated that, allowing for 300 retire- | ments, there will be more than 1700 v teachers out of permanent positions at . the beginning of 1934 unless something is done to remedy the position. It. is : stated that there may be up ■ to 500 probationary assistant position; and approximately 300 relieving teachers required,. but these teachers would not be in permanent employment. These employed under the rationing i scheme had received approximately only j £so' for the year. It was unreasonable | to grant a fixed sum of money under ■- a scheme and then divide the teachers into it as if they were pawns and not huthan beings. ! The State was guilty of a breach of confidence toward teachers if st-af-JBing economy resulted in unemploy- > me.nt, and the responsibility for bringj ing about equilibrium between the sup--1 ply and demand devolved on the State alone. The Education Department was seeking to regulate the supply of

teachers to an estimated and planned demand, and to this end two- training colleges had been closed, while a third was to close at the end of the year. However, the fact remained that in the transitional: period severe hardships wore being; inflicted in the desire to effect immediate arid' su'bstvntial' economies. A saving of £1,374,000 had been made on an education vote of

£4,174,000, and it was felt that a. small part could he given back to mitigate the severity of the hardships caused by the Government’s change of policy.. : I ‘t | ]Tj^

There were 1845. clase's of more than 40 pupils in New Zealand schools, and it was claimed it would be. a simple matter to adjust the staffing regulations so «s to brim; about th» empWmeu't of many more teachers. The education service' contributed more than £125,000 annually to the unemployment funds and it was not unreasonable to’ exnect that part of this contribution should be made available for relief work in the schools.