SCARCITY OF TEACHERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 305, 21 June 1912, Page 6

SCARCITY OF TEACHERS.

SOME SUGGESTED REMEDIES. The scarcity of certificated teachers 'has been very much in evidence lately, hot only in Taranaki, but throughout the whole 0 f tl, ( , Dominion, and the position us diiily becoming more acute. This is not so noticeable in the larger centres, where the best positions in the profession are to be found. These are all filled by first-class men, and there is no dearth of applicants for them, but it is in the small backblocks schools that the position is so acute as to be almost appalling.' Here we have children shut out, as it were, almost from civilisation—at any rate from the outside world—where they have an opportunity of gaining some knowledge of eevryday affairs by environment, and who should, therefore, have their education instilled into them by the I- st teachers procurable. But what is '.lie. result? Through lack'of sufficient inducement these positions have to be given to almost the first person a PPly in g. °r, i« in many cases, to the only person available. In the majority of cases the teacher has had no experience whatever. Under the circumstances it is remarkable what progress the children make, though it must be admitted that oftentimes the backblocks turn out in this way many good teachers, who set out on life's journey in some other profession. The Taranaki Board is establishing model schools at which backblocks' teachers can attend for a month, and thus obtain practical experience of up-to-date teaching methods.

! In aterapting to improve the lot of J the backblocker, both teacher and child, j the Education Board were moving in the j right direction, and no doubt such training, ]f only for such a short time, would greatly assi.it the teacher in his or her work, but its effect was greatly discounted by the Board deciding that'during the month at the model school the teacher would receive no pay, probably arguin« that the teacher was well compensated i tor the loss of the month's salary by being better equipped for future work. J fctjll undoubtedly, it should be the aiim ] ot the education boards to make the profession more attractive if they wish to appeal to young men. The matter was discussed on Wednesday at the Board's meeting, when the Southland Education Board forwarded a resolution and asked that the Board should cooperate with them, in urging on the Education Department the necessity for some definite action on the lines suggested by the resolution: "That the continued scarcity of certificated teachers is viewed with great misgivings by this Board; that notwithstanding tilie improved conditions for training teachers as provided for in the establishment of training colleges, the number of qualified teachers available yearly does not exceed those, necessary to fill vacancies caused by retirement from the service, and the Board is of opinion that the present institutions and the lack of applicants for admission to the teaching' profession will not permit of the unsatisfactory state of affairs now current being remedied unless more strenuous ■measures are adopted. The Board respectfully requests the central author-. I rty to communicate with the Education Board in Great Britain as to the intro-' duction of an adequate supply of certi-; floated teachers of good character to New Zealand to fill positions inefficiently . staffed, and to prevent the standard of teaching in our rural schools being rej duced to a dangerously low level, and' 1 our national system, therefore, endangered. That the Department, in cooperation with the boards, take steps to introduce to New Zealand annually such - number of certificated teachers as will reasonably meet the needs of the Dominion in efficiently staffing its schools." . The chairman opened the discussion by remarking that such a scheme would . be of no avail, as there was the same i complaint in England: that not enough teachers were being trained to fill the ! vacancies. The only teachers they 1 ) would get would be inferior ones—that I was for the smaller positions. ff they | wished to tempt good teachers they j would have to offer good positions, and these were well filled now. !

Mr. Kennedy said that the whole point 'vas that the teaching profession was not being made attractive enough. How many pluma had they to offer to ambitious teachers? If the authorities offered better salaries they would secure better teachers. Rev. Bradbury: You've hit the secret of the position. Mr. Ballantyne, chief inspector, in reply to a question, said that he was of the same opinion as the chairman. The difficulty was in filling the smaller-paid positions. The highly-paid ones were held by qualified men. The teaching profession offered very little inducement to youths to enter it. It was a much more important profession than, say, banking, and yet youths wore offered much more to enter the kttvr than to start school teaching. That was where he considered the whole remedy lay. They should offer sufficient salary to induce the youth of both sexes to enter the profession. A young man very rarely left the teaching profession once he started upon it. The lower salaries should be raised, and so should the higher ones, to be in keeping. If higher salaries were given there would be more probationers, but as Jt is at present, the brightest youths drifted away into other professions and were lost to school teaching.

Mr. Whctter considered that the area for promotion was too limited. In the Taranaki education district there were only four schools with salaries of over £3OO. They only had a haphazard classification scheme. In the post office and railway the various officers knew the prospects of transfer. Small boards offered no scope for any ambitious boy; 'He considered that there should only be four promotion areas, one round each' univeristy centre. This would not mean sweeping away education hoards. A classification scheme for the whole Dominion would offer little enough scope, as there were 2000 male teachers in th« ■ Dominion and only 150 positions of over £3OO available. He considered that at present fully 500 male .teachers had no prospect of ever reaching a salary above £SOO, however efficient they might be consequently no amibtious young" fellow would enter the profession,' particularly When it required about ten years of study to secure an A certificate' Tara-, naki had a transfer system, and so had two other .boards, but a classification scheme for the whole Dominion was urgently required. Rev. Bradbury said that considering the present cost of living he was surprised so many entered the profession as 'did.

Mr. Masters said that it would be of no use sending to England. If salaries were raised the difficulty could be overcome in the Dominion. The classification scheme was a good proposition. On the motion of the chairman, seconded by Mr. Masters, it was resolved that the Southland Board be informed that tkifl Board does not see its way to sup, port the circular with reference to the importation of teachers from Great Britain, and that in the opinion of tills Board the dearth of teachers in New Zealand is caused to a great extent by •the payment of low salaries, especially 'in the lower grades.