WORK FOR TEACHERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 909, 28 February 1930, Page 8

WORK FOR TEACHERS

SOME UNEMPLOYMENT INEVITABLE MR. T. B. STRONG’S VIEWS From Our Resident Reporter WELLINGTON, Today. The problem of finding employment for young teachers who have qualified at the beginning of the school year and are still waiting to start work is discussed in a letter sent by the Director of Education, Mr. T. & Strong, to school boards throughou; the Dominion. “The unemployment among teachers in the early months of the year has given the department much concern, and lias been carefully considered,* says the letter. “As you are aware, the number of young teachers to be employed and trained must be estimated five years in advance, since a probationer appointed in any year is not available for the permanent staff until the fifth year thereafter. j n making this calculation it is necessary to take into account the probable increase in the number of school children. and also the wastage in the service due to marriage, retirement and death. REDUCED TO LIMITS ‘•The department has reduced the number of trainees to the limits imposed on it by these factors. It has been suggested that young teachers should be placed in supernumerary positions in the schools immediately they finish their training, and Uy* s suggestion has been carefully examined by the officers of the department. It is clear that the cost would be very heavy, since such teachers could scarcely ho employed at smaller salaries than they received during the last ydbr of their training, namely, £l4O a year in the case of men, and £135 in the case of women. “The department can see no wav under the present system of employment of teachers of preventing a certain amount of unemployment at tUe beginning of the year. It is obvious that the wastage goes on gradually, and there must be teachers to fill the gaps. The position last year, as also in previous years, became easier as the year advanced and boards before the end of the year were very short of relieving teachers. Their staffs were depleted by such teachers receiving permanent appointments. “In order that the problem may bo studied still more thoroughly I shall be glad if you will be good enough to supply the department with the following information in respect to unemployed ex-training college students in your district as at the end of February: (l) Assistants not in permanent employment: (2) number in (1) who are in temporary employment; (3) number in (1) who are not certificated; (4) number in (1) who restrict their applications to positions in on* town or towns.”