E,— l.

(b) Applicants for Probatjonerships. In 1931, as in the previous year, the number of qualified applicants for entrance to the teaching service as probationers far exceeded the number of probationerships available. For the 457 positions there were over 800 applicants, and Education Boards were therefore again able to select for appointment young people with high academic and personal qualifications. (c) Period and Conditions of Training. The period of training necessary for a young teacher to secure a trained teacher's certificate is usually four years. By far the greater number of trainees come from the ranks of the probationers in public schools, who serve for one year in that capacity. In addition to these, studentships are granted to assistants who have spent two years in a recognized kindergarten, and to student teachers who have spent one or two years as such in technical schools. These trainees are required to pass or obtain a partial pass in the Training College Entrance Examination, and are then admitted to the training college as students of Division A for a course of training of two years' duration, with a possible extension of a further year on the recommendation of the Principal. Students of Division A, on completion of their course, serve for a further year in the schools as probationary assistants, at the end of which period they will, on complying with the necessary conditions, receive certificates. In the case of students who remain for a third year at training college, the period of training as a probationary assistant is dispensed with. Graduates are accepted for a course of professional training of one year, and are designated students of Division C. In all the above cases the ex-trainee is under bond to serve in public schools or other approved educational institutions. For those who do not desire to enter into a bond to serve in public schools a course similar to that provided for other students is available at a reasonable charge per term. These students are entered under Division B. As in the case of students training for the public-schools service, a student of Division B is required to possess educational qualifications of an approved standard. The above summary outlines the conditions obtaining in 1931. These will, however, almost certainly be modified in certain directions in future years. Arrangements have for some years been made at the various training colleges for training teachers who intend to take up work in post-primary schools, but in one of the four centres little practice in post-primary teaching has hitherto been available owing to the disinclination of certain of the schools to afford the necessary facilities. These schools have now fallen into line with those in the other training-college centres in providing opportunities for observation and teaching practice, and the general arrangements for the training of post-primary teachers are now on a much more satisfactory basis. The following tables summarize the position regarding the training of teachers at the end of 1930 and 1931 :—

Table W1.—Number of Teachers in Training.

The increase in the number of probationary assistants is due to the fact that prior to 1931 there were insufficient probationary assistants to fill all the positions available, many of the teachers leaving training colleges having completed their course of training.

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Training-college Students. Number of Number of Pro _ T „ ti ,| . °" 0 ,a ' bationary Trainees. bationers. j)j v j g i on A. Division B. Division 0. Division D. Assistants. . _ I ; _ 1930 .. .. 542 1,114 1 28 11 1,154 352 2,048 1931 .. .. 454 1,118 7 36 .. 1,161 473 2,088