OUT-OF-WORK TEACHERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 215, 30 November 1927, Page 15

OUT-OF-WORK TEACHERS

EDUCATION BOARD WILL NOT ACCEPT BLAME SERIOUS POSITION NEXT YEAR y»LAME for the surplus of trained teachers and consequent unemployment is not taken by the Auckland Education Board, though the Minister of Education, the Hon. R. A. Wright, is reported to have said that the boards are responsible for the position. “Tlie Minister’s statement is wholly incorrect, for in this district the number of students admitted to the training college is fixed by the Education Department,” stated a special report received at to-day’s meeting of the board. “The responsibility for any surplus of trained teachers must be laid to the department alone.” "The number of training college students available at the beginning of next year will be largely in excess of requirements and for this the board is in no way responsible.” Mr. H. S. W. King: It is unfortunate that the information supplied to the Minister is so often incorrect. “As far as I can see, there will be 100. out of employment at least next year,” said the assistant-secretary. The Chairman, Mr. A. Burns: Then the department should release them from their bonds. The department advised that it could not approve of the board placing ex-training college students to grade positions without advertising the appointments. MORE UNEMPLOYMENT “That is going to cause a lot of confusion,” said the chairman. “As they come out of college with low grading marks they will be out of employment for a considerable time. The older teachers are sure to win the positions.” Mr. P. A. Snell: Suppose we can’t find positions and, the trainees want release from their bonds. The Chairman: The department won’t release them. A suggestion that the ex-college students might be employed as assistants in big schools at the same remuneration as they obtained at college was made by the chairman. Mr. J. Patterson: Surely when tlie teachers go into a bond they should be given employment. I know teachers who have had no grading for 12 months. The position is impossible and a menace to the profession. Mr. R. Hoe agreed with the chairman's suggestion. He said that some young teachers failed in country schools because they had not the experience. “The weakness to-day is that teachers are well educated, but have no teaching experience,” said Mr. E. C. Banks. “One year as probationaryassistants would give them experience.” Mr. T. U. Wells said that the advertising of grade I. positions would make more unemployment, as there was an influx of Southerners to Auckland. It was decided to send the chairman’s suggestion to the department, and to contradict the Minister’s statement. It was reported that 286 applications for probationer’s appointments —SI boys and 205 girls—had been made for 198 vacancies. Last year there were 372 applicants.