Staff move "delights"

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 54, 9 July 1974, Page 9

Staff move "delights"

Taupo teachers are "deiighted" at the Government's announcement last week to make major improvements in staffing ratios in primary and secondary schoois. The local representative of the New Zealand Educational Institute, Mr B. W. Anderson, said the organisation had been pressing for improvements in staffing numbers, particularly in junior areas, for some time. "We have known about the Government's plans for a long time but we are glad they have finally been announced," he. said. "There is no question

that parents, should also be delighted at the proposals because it means that classes will be smaller and children can now receive more attention from their teachers." From the beginning of next year, the Government plans to create 600 additional teaching positions to improve teacherpupil ratios in primary and secondary schoois. The Minister of Education, Mr Amos, said the objective was ratios of 1 to 20 in Forms 6 and 7, and 1 to 30 in Forms 3 to 5. Last year, the Government had to cope with a backlog of shortages of secondary classrooms and for that reason emphasis was given to forms of staffing improvement that did not involve building extra rooms.

In primary schoois the teacher-pupil ratio under the new scheme will be 1 to 30 for standard classes and 1 to 20 for infant classes. Ancillary staffing programmes will also be strengthened. "Overall the new scheme represents a 45 per cent improvement in the present measure of ancillary staffing provided for primary and intermediate schoois," said Mr Amos. "The teachers' aide and clerical assistants schemes are combined into a single, flexible scheme which incorporates a measure of assistance for school libraries in primary and iritefmediate schoois." Individual schoois will have a basic allowance of weekly hours for the femployment of ancillary staffing.