POSITION OF SCHOOL TEACHERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1918, Page 7

POSITION OF SCHOOL TEACHERS.

SHOULD APPEALS BE LODGED? The position of school teachers in regard to military service was discussed at the meeting of the Hawera branch of the School Committees' Association yesterday. The matter was introduced by a letter from the Eltham branch, asking support for a resolution urging that owing to the acute shortage of male assistants it is advisable that the board should appeal for all male teachers in future. The letter stated that the county representatives had pointed out that further depletion of the male teaching staffs would result in the closing, or at least the partial closing, of many of the smaller country schools, and it» -was further pointed out that sectarian schools had been successfully Appealing for their male teachers, thus placing State schools at a disadvantage. Mr. Johnston (Tokaora) moved, and Mr. Guy (Kaponga) seconded, that the branch support the remit.

The chairman said this opened up a very serious question. It was very apparent that the shortage of teachers was becoming acute. Several schools in the Dominion had had to be closed owing to teachers being called up for military service and no appeals having been made (Personally he considered the education of the young generation most essential. He then asked Mr. Masters to explain the position from the board's point of view,

Mr. Masters said his own opinion, was that little mattered unless,we won the war, consequently the first consideration must be winning the war. As far as the Taranaki education district was concerned, the position was not as acute as some of the members present and the public generally seemed to think. Up to the present the board had been able to fill every position, and in no case within his. knowledge ■ had any school been vacant for a period of longer than three or four days. At the present time every school under the board's jurisdiction was fully staffed. Further, the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute had recently passed a resolution protesting against any board appealing for any teacher. He opposed the motion on another ground, namely, that it was n. matter for the Education Department to take tip rather than education boards, and he protested ugainst some boards appealing for teachers while others decided not to do so. If there were a greater preponderance of male teachers in the south, as 'he had been told authoritatively there was, the Government should organise so that those teachers should be distributed proportionally over the two islands. This would have the effect of placing every North Island board in the position of not having to appeal for any teacher. At the present time there were only 15 of their own teachers liable for military service. There • was certainly a hardship so far as secondary school teachers were concerned in this district. He referred particularly to the position at the Stratford D.H.S., where there was an attendance in the secondary department s>f 200 children, and but for the fact of one teacher being returned from camp unfit they would be without any male teacher whatever. He contrasted the nosition with that of other schools which wore financed by endowments. The former was bound by schedule as far as the payment of salaries was concerned, whereas the latter was able to pay according to the financial returns from their endowments, and to offer greater salaries, and so induce teachers away from the district high schools. The Education Department should take this matter up and see that all secondary schools were treated equitably. The board so far had not adopted any war measures with regard to getting a supply of teachers. He would not advise the board to take any other attitude than waß being adopted at present. Mr. Smith believed that the education of the young should be treated as a war measure. After the war there would be an economic, industrial war,. and the rising generation should be given such an education as would fit them to take their stnnd in that struggle. That' was what Germany was doing. It was not fair to compare endowment schools with district high schools, because the former were boarding schools, and, in addition to his duties during the day the teacher was a house master at the boarding establishment.

Mr. Co.cker (Mata) stated that Ha I committee had brought the remit forIwnrd because they realised that it was tlie back blocks schools that would suffer. Mr. C. Coad (Te Roti) opposed the motion, considering that every fit eligible man should ,ao t° the front, and that women could take charge of schools. The chairman said that military appeal boards had been set up to say whether it was more essential for a man to remain here or go to the war. He considered that the time had arrived when the boards should appeal for their teachers. The motloa wsu carried. J