SERVICES TO COUNTRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 September 1939, Page 4

SERVICES TO COUNTRY

AS TEACHER OR ADJUTANT? COLLEGE BOARD MEMBERS URGE SELECTION SCHEME. In the opinion of the Wairarapa College Board of Governors, a teacher at the College would be rendering more valuable service to his country by remaining at his teaching duties chan by carrying out an administrative military position in New Zealand. This appeared to be the consensus of opinion of members of the board, following on receipt of an application from a married member of the College teaching stall, asking for leave of absence for an indefinite period, so that he could take up military duties of an administrative nature in New Zealand. In discussion, it was apparent that some members favoured compulsory military service so that all single men were called on first. The matter, it was pointed out, raised a big question in several ways. Were the positions of teachers absent on active service tfybe guaranteed to them on their return? The opinion was that the positions should be guaranteed but by the Government and not by the.board. It was almost impossible to get relieving teachers. Mr F. C. Daniell considered the Government should give the lead. Mr Alex. Donald said educational authorities were in a far different position to the ordinary employer. They should not, penalise the boys and girls by having relieving teachers if that could be avoided. The position of any teacher should be guaranteed by the Government and not by the board. He agreed that - the Government should tackle the job and the board should make representations to the Department on those lines. Mr L. T. Daniell asked who was the power that accepted this man when there were plenty of single men available. All men should be selected after full consideration. Mrs C. C. Jackson: “It is uneconomic.”

Mr L. T. Daniell: “It is most uneconomic.” He added that there should be a board with all the facts before it to decide on matters of this kind and to select men for particular duties. There were hundreds of returned men who would be glad to give the Department ’the service required in this case. Mr A. Owen Jones, stating that the board had to be careful not to do anything that would kill the right spirit, said it appeared that this man would be of more value to the College than in a job of the kind he intended taking, though he did not know that the board should stand in the way if the Defence Department had chosen this man for a certain position. Mr Jones said he had been informed that recruiting officers had been told not to accept bank clerks. Why should a certain section of the community be exempted in this way? he asked. It was decided to get a ruling from the- Education Department as to the granting of leave of absence on the lines suggested* and for a ruling for future guidance. The Principal, Mr G. G. Hancox, and the chairman of the board. Mr W. R. Nicol, were given power to act in the matter. The following resolution was passed, to be forwarded to the Minister of Education, the Hon P. Fraser: “That the Wairarapa College Board protests against the action of the military authorities in accepting members of the teaching profession, particularly married men with families, for military duties of .an administrative nature within New Zealand, to the sacrifice of the educational requirements of the children. We therefore recommend you to urge the military authorities to avoid as far as possible the disruption of our educational system in this respect.”