35
Wednesday, April 7, 1975
The number of children entering primary schools has dropped furt.ber
than could be predicted at the time when decisions were made and financial
circumstances do not permit primary classes to shrink permanently to
aize which would enable all gradusting teachers to be easily and immediately
absorbed.
Thus, Mr. Topley said, "We are faced this year with a surplus
of serving teachers and of graduates from Colleges of Education."
The Director was confident that serving teachers could be absorbed
into the primary system through retirements and wastage, and into the
secondary system through expansion.
He said that some of the graduates of Colleges of Education would
also find jobs in aided primary schools and in aided secondary schcels
but there would be a substantial body of others for whom there would be no
place in aided schools.
"I an offering to 250 of these graduates a third year course 'n
the Colleges which will enable them to improve their qualifictions but not
all will feel able to take up this offer and I may well be faced with
a surplus of 300 or 400 teachers it is impossible to be more exact -
who will require to seek work in private schools or on the general labour
market, Mr. Topley said.
While this was far from satisfactory, the Director emphasised
that "the Government has never accepted an obligation to find jobs in the
aided sector for all graduating teachers; other school, Polytechnic or
University graduates might well ask for a similar guarantee."
The Education