QUALIFIED TEACHERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1918, Page 5

QUALIFIED TEACHERS.

SHORTAGE GETTING WORSE. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. SITUATION DEMANDS EARNEST ATTENTION. An interesting statement was made in Wellington on Tuesday by the Minister for Education (the Hon, J. A. Hanan) with regard to tlhe supply of fully qualified teachers and the consequent serioUß outlook for the future of education in this country. Mr. Hanan said that the difficulties with respect to the maintenance and improvement of the personnel of the. teaching force of the Dominion had been growing for some time past. A memorandum had been submitted to tarn by the Director of Education (Dr. Anderson), in which that officer urged that the situation demanded the most serious attention. Dr. Anderson stated that no improvement in the conditions at the initial stages of the teacher's career could be sufficient unless ttie adult teacher's position was at the same time improved to such an extent as would make the profession worthy of the best energies and the continued and unremitting application of its members. The steps of improvement could only be gradual, but unless the problem was promptly and effectively grappled with the outlook must be regarded as grave. As had been found in England, and as statistics would show, apart from the war conditions, a scries of years had witnessed a progressive decline during which the number of qualified teachers had been quite insufficient to meet the needs of the Dominion.

Mr. Hanan, referring to the memorandum, said there was undoubtedly too large a proportion of uncertificated teachers iu this country. Costly buildings and equipment would not make up for the personal defects of an inefficient teacher. Educationists agreed that the rate of advance in every grade of education must be conditioned by the supply of qualified teachers. Touching on the subject of tlhe declining number of male teachers, Mr. Hanan said that the following official return had been supplied to him. The figures were illuminating as showing the short time that women teachera remained in the profession as compared with tlhe men and the increasing proportion of women teachers to incrte "There were 3944 certificated teachers classified in 191S, of whom 2452 were women and 1492 were men, a proportion of about eight women to every five men. . An analysis of the length of service of these teachers showed that 276 women and only 32 men had less than four years' service, while 367 women and only 93 men had less than six years' service. Thereafter, up to 13 years' service the numbers of men and women wefo equal; but of teachers with over 19 years' service there were 509 women and 652 men.

These figures indicate that a very large proportion of women teachers serve less than six.' years, and that thougfc in the Dominion there are about eight women teachers to every five men, there are only four women teachers to every five men who have more than ]!) years' service, that is, the proportion is reduced by a half. In other words, the training of 32 young men teachers' at the beginning gives a supply of 052 men teachers after 19 years, while it is necessary to train 270 young women teachers at the beginning in order to secure 509 women teachers after lO'yeafs.''