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Education
Fix this textRegistered at the G.P.O. Sydney for transmission by post as a periodical.
Fix this textVolume 46, No. 19.
Fix this textNOVEMBER 3, 1965
Fix this textPrice: Threepence
Fix this textSECONDARY SCHOOL. SURVEY
Fix this textThe shortage of teachers is re-
Fix this textsponsible for the most serious
Fix this textdifficulties being experienced by
Fix this textthe New South Wales secondary
Fix this textschools at the present time, and
Fix this textvirtually all public schools are
Fix this textaffected by it. This is the most
Fix this textsignificant aspect of the 1965 Sur-
Fix this textvey of Secondary Schools which
Fix this texthas just been completed.
Fix this textContrasting conditions in two Sydney high schools
Fix this textThe Survey reveals primary
Fix this texttrained teachers taking 4th form
Fix this textand sth year mathematics
Fix this textclasses; a Bachelor of Economics
Fix this texttaking sth year Physics and up
Fix this textto 4th form Science; an English
Fix this textteacher taking Art and
Fix this textGeography classes; schools with-
Fix this textout any trained Art or Music
Fix this textteachers; little prospect of re-
Fix this textplacing Science teachers who
Fix this textleave to take up other jobs.
Fix this textThese are only a few of the
Fix this textstaffing difficulties reported by
Fix this textschools in 1965.
Fix this textShortage of
Fix this textGraduates
Fix this textThe main difficulty is, un-
Fix this textdoubtedly, the shortage of 4-
Fix this textyear trained teachers who still
Fix this textconstitute less than half the
Fix this texttotal number of secondary
Fix this textteachers—approximately 46%.
Fix this textThe shortage of 4-year trained
Fix this textteachers means that increasing
Fix this textnumbers of 2-y ear trained teach-
Fix this texters—l,4so this year compared
Fix this textwith about 1,200 reported last
Fix this textyear—are taking 4th form and
Fix this textsth year classes.
Fix this textThe need for highly qualified
Fix this textteachers, especially in senior
Fix this textforms, has been emphasised by
Fix this textthe Martin Committee in the
Fix this textthird volume of its Report
Fix this textwhich has just been published:
Fix this text"It is unquestionable that the
Fix this textsubject specialists in the higher
Fix this textforms of secondary schools
Fix this textshould be university graduates
Fix this textwith academic qualifications in
Fix this texttheir teaching specialties. The
Fix this textneeds of the secondary schools
Fix this texttoday increasingly require high
Fix this textscholarship in their teachers.
Fix this textAdvantages are to be gained by
Fix this textrecruiting as teachers people
Fix this textwho have been taught to think
Fix this textas historians, as scientists, as
Fix this textlinguists, and so on, for they
Fix this textwill pass on their breadth of
Fix this textoutlook and enthusiasm to their
Fix this textstudents.”
Fix this textAnother serious aspect of the
Fix this textteacher shortage is that many
Fix this textteachers are obliged to teach
Fix this textsubjects for which they have not
Fix this textbeen trained. Thus, one school
Fix this textreports that a teacher who fail-
Fix this texted in mathematics at the Inter-
Fix this textmediate is obliged to take first
Fix this textform mathematics because there
Fix this textis no one else to put on the
Fix this textclass.
Fix this textOver 700 teachers are in the
Fix this textposition of having to teach
Fix this textoutside the field for which they
Fix this textwere trained, and over 700
Fix this textclasses are suffering accordingly.
Fix this textClosely allied to this situa-
Fix this texttion is the shortage of Music,
Fix this textArt and other specialist teach-
Fix this texters. These subjects are
Fix this textan integral part of the new
Fix this textsystem of secondary education,
Fix this textbut 104 schools reported that
Fix this textthey have no trained Art
Fix this textteacher, 97 are without a
Fix this texttrained Music teacher, and 90
Fix this texthave no trained Physical Edu-
Fix this textcation teacher.
Fix this textHeavy Period Load
Fix this textAnother effect of the teacher
Fix this textshortage is the heavy period
Fix this textload imposed on teachers. The
Fix this textnew secondary courses demand
Fix this texta greater amount of preparation
Fix this textby teachers, and in many cases
Fix this textentail considerably more writ-
Fix this textten work by pupils which
Fix this textteachers have to correct; yet
Fix this textthe number of actual teaching
Fix this textperiods is increasing. A few
Fix this textyears ago, 27 periods was the
Fix this textusual period load for secondary
Fix this textassistants, but this year’s Sur-
Fix this textvey shows over half their num-
Fix this textber on 28 periods, and nearly
Fix this text20% on 29 periods or more.
Fix this textThis means that more and more
Fix this textwork is being done in the
Fix this textteacher’s own time and greater
Fix this textand greater demands are being
Fix this textmade on his nervous energy.
Fix this textNeed For Relief
Fix this textTeachers
Fix this textThe position is aggravated
Fix this textby the heavy burden of extra
Fix this textperiods which teachers are
Fix this textcalled upon to take because
Fix this textthere is no relief staff to take
Fix this textover the classes of teachers who
Fix this textare absent. Nearly all schools
Fix this textreported 200 or more extra
Fix this textperiods during the first half of
Fix this textthe year; 53 schools reported
Fix this textmore than 500 extra periods,
Fix this textand several schools reported
Fix this text1,000 extra periods or more.
Fix this textClass Loads
Fix this textThe most important aspect of
Fix this textthe teacher shortage is the
Fix this texteffect upon class loads, and this
Fix this textyear’s Survey shows that we are
Fix this texta long way from our goal of 30
Fix this textThe playground of a high school in the Sydney Metropolitan area.
Fix this textas the maximum for Ist, 2nd
Fix this textand 3rd forms, and 20 as the
Fix this textmaximum for 4th, sth and 6th
Fix this textforms.
Fix this textIn Ist, 2nd and 3rd forms
Fix this textonly 27% of classes have a
Fix this textmaximum of 30; in 4th form
Fix this textand sth year only 16.7% of
Fix this textclasses have a maximum of 20.
Fix this textThe 1964 Annual Conference
Fix this textof the Federation recognised
Fix this textthat these goals could not be
Fix this textattained immediately, and set
Fix this textas targets for this year a maxi-
Fix this textmum of 40 for Ist, 2nd and 3rd
Fix this textform classes, and a maximum of
Fix this text30 for 4th form and sth year.
Fix this textHowever, the Survey shows
Fix this textthat 11% of junior and 23%
Fix this textof senior classes fail to reach
Fix this texteven these modest targets. The
Fix this textchildren in these classes at
Fix this textleast 21,000 —are at a real edu-
Fix this textcational disadvantage compared
Fix this textwith children in smaller classes.
Fix this textAnd the position is expected
Fix this textto be worse next year. Most
Fix this texthigh school principals have
Fix this textrecently been Instructed to ad-
Fix this textjust the size of classes in order
Fix this textto reduce staff. Thus, one
Fix this textprincipal who was planning to
Fix this texthave seven 3rd form classes next
Fix this textyear and three sth form classes,
Fix this texthas been instructed to reduce
Fix this textthese to six 3rd form and two
Fix this textsth form classes.
Fix this textIt is believed that this is the
Fix this textpattern for 1966 throughout the
Fix this textsecondary schools.
Fix this textDifficulties will be particularly
Fix this textacute in sth form because sub-
Fix this textjects will be taught at three
Fix this textlevels. If there are only two
Fix this textsth form classes then in-
Fix this textevitably one class must be a
Fix this texttwo-level class. If the class is
Fix this textsmall, the difficulty will not
Fix this textbe sb' great, but where classes
Fix this textarq large teachers and children,
Fix this textalike will be faced with an im-
Fix this textpossible task.
Fix this textPractical Classes
Fix this textThe position is worst of all
Fix this textin practical classes which
Fix this textteachers are agreed should be
Fix this textlimited to 24, so that every
Fix this textchild can have access to the
Fix this textequipment and materials neces-
Fix this textsary for effective practical work.
Fix this textVirtually all schools reported
Fix this textpractical Science classes over 24
Fix this textand many schools reported
Fix this textother practical classes far above
Fix this textthe maximum, some as large as
Fix this text40.
Fix this textThus, one school reports: “28
Fix this textScience classes, 10 Physical Edu-
Fix this textcation classes, 2 Needlework
Fix this textclasses, 7 Art classes are over
Fix this text24.”
Fix this textAnother school says: “Most
Fix this textScience classes 40, 43, 37, 40
Fix this textand the like.”
Fix this textThe value of practical classes
Fix this textis that children are able to
Fix this textlearn through their own ex-
Fix this textperience. But when classes are
Fix this textlarge, it is not physically pos-
Fix this textsible for every child to con-
Fix this textduct an experiment, or work
Fix this texton a machine, or make a cake,
Fix this textor paint at an easel. So in-
Fix this textstead of conducting a practical
Fix this textlesson where the children learn
Fix this textby doing things themselves, the
Fix this textteacher is forced to conduct a
Fix this textdemonstration lesson in which
Fix this textthe children merely watch
Fix this textthat is, if they can get near
Fix this textenough to see what the teacher
Fix this textis doing.
Fix this textAccommodation
Fix this textProblems
Fix this textWhile the teacher shortage
Fix this textaffects practically every school
Fix this textin the State, there is also a
Fix this textnumber of schools with serious
Fix this textaccommodation problems.
Fix this textMany schools are forced to
Fix this textconduct classes in rented halls,
Fix this textrooms in other schools, locker
Fix this textrooms, staff rooms, store rooms,
Fix this texthat rooms, and corridors. One
Fix this textschool reports that classes are
Fix this textbeing held in four rented halls.
Fix this textIn all, 182 cases of such make-
Fix this textshift accommodation were re-
Fix this textported.
Fix this textIn other schools, the position
Fix this textis not quite so desperate, but
Fix this textnevertheless, specialist rooms,
Fix this textlibrary rooms and Assembly
Fix this textHalls have to be used for class
Fix this textrooms a thoroughly unsatis-
Fix this textfactory situation because these
Fix this textrooms are unsuitable for ordin-
Fix this textary classes. Moreover, their use
Fix this textas class rooms prevents them
Fix this textfrom being fully used for the
Fix this textpurposes for which they were
Fix this textintended. ...
Fix this textAnother 80 schools report that
Fix this textthey will need additional ac-
Fix this textcommodation for 6th form
Fix this textclasses.
Fix this textMore Teachers'
Fix this textColleges Needed
Fix this textThe most urgent need of
Fix this textsecondary education is for more
Fix this textteachers with a longer period of
Fix this texttraining. These are essential to
Fix this textreduce the size of classes, to
Fix this textensure that children are taught
Fix this textby teachers with a thorough
Fix this textknowledge of their subject and
Fix this textto reduce the period load of
Fix this textteachers.
Fix this textBut if sufficient teachers are
Fix this textto be trained to meet these
Fix this textneeds, additional teachers’ col-
Fix this textleges must be established. New
Fix this textSouth Wales needs thousands of
Fix this textadditional trainee teachers, not
Fix this textjust hundreds as provided for in
Fix this textthe recent State Budget, but it
Fix this textis impossible to accommodate
Fix this textthousands more students in the
Fix this textexisting over-crowded teachers'
Fix this textcolleges.
Fix this textThe establishment of addi-
Fix this texttional teachers’ colleges is the
Fix this textmost urgent need in New South
Fix this textWales at the present time, but
Fix this textthe State Budget, far from
Fix this textrecognising the position, actually
Fix this textdiverts to private schools sums
Fix this textwhich are urgently needed for
Fix this textteacher training.
Fix this textExecutive Resolution
Fix this textThe Federation Executive dis-
Fix this textcussed the State Budget at its
Fix this textOctober meeting, and carried a
Fix this textresolution which, after drawing
Fix this textattention to features of the
Fix this textBudget which are unsatisfactory
Fix this textas regards education, concludes
Fix this textas follows:
Fix this textThe New South Wales
Fix this textTeachers' Federation there-
Fix this textfore? calls upon the State
Fix this textGovernment to re-cast the
Fix this textBudget in order to provide
Fix this textan increase in the expendi-
Fix this textture on education no less
Fix this textthan that of 1964-65.
Fix this textFurther, the Federation urges
Fix this textthe Government to: (a)
Fix this textestablish two additional
Fix this textteachers' colleges, (b) grant
Fix this textscholarships to all suitable
Fix this textand qualified applicants, to
Fix this textcater for the 1966-67 “gap"
Fix this textin potential trainee teachers,
Fix this text(c) extend the minimum
Fix this textperiod of teacher training to
Fix this text3 years, (d) provide ade-
Fix this textquate finance to cater for the
Fix this textgrowing needs of primary,
Fix this textsecondary and technical
Fix this texteducation.
Fix this textCONFERENCE
Fix this textTOPIC SELECTED
Fix this textThe ballot of Associa-
Fix this texttions for the topic for
Fix this textdiscussion at the 19'65
Fix this textAnnual Conference re-
Fix this textsulted in the selection of
Fix this textRecruitment and Train-
Fix this texting of Teachers.
Fix this textCouncil resolved at its
Fix this textmeeting on October 23
Fix this textthat the resolution on
Fix this textthe topic, for submission
Fix this textto Conference, should be
Fix this textprepared by the Second-
Fix this textary Teachers’ Associa-
Fix this texttion.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-710222365
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation & New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. (1919). Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation Retrieved June 2, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-710222365
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation and New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation Sydney: The Federation, 1919. Web. 2 June 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-710222365>
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation & New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. 1919, Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation The Federation, Sydney viewed 2 June 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-710222365
{{Citation
| author1=N.S.W. Teachers' Federation.
| author2=New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation.
| title=Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation.
| year=1919
| section=volumes.
| issn=0013-1156
| issue=Vol. 46 No. 19 (3 Nov 1965)
| location=Sydney
| publisher=The Federation
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-710222365
| id=nla.obj-710222365
| access-date=2 June 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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