CALLING UP OF TEACHERS

Southland Times, Issue 24820, 12 August 1942, Page 4

CALLING UP OF TEACHERS

Problem Of Staffing

- Schools

“We are having a difficult time because of the shortage of teachers, but we are doing our best to keep the schools going,”, said Dr C. E.

Beeby, Director of Education, in the course of an interview in Invercar-

gill last night. “The decision to appeal for a teacher rests with the board concerned. Most of the bpards are making appeals,” he said. “The department has advised boards to appeal for the older teachers who have been called up in recent ballots, if they consider that is necessary, but the department has not suggested that appeals should be made for the younger teachers. Because of the shortage of teachers a number of smaller schools have had to be closed in different parts of the country, but I understand that so far the Southland Board has managed very well and has not had to close any of its schools. Two-teacher schools are presenting the greatest difficulty at present, as many of the head masters of two-teacher schools are married men in the age groups now being called up for service. It is not easy to replace these men.” A number of former women teachers who were now married had returned to the service, but the difficulty with the majority of these teachers was that they were less mobile than the average teacher, Dr Beeby added. In other words, it was necessary to find a school for them near their homes, and that was not always possible. A number of retired teachers were also back in harnes, and the services of teachers who were due to retire had been retained unless there was some good reason, such as the state of their health, why they should retire.