Hi Stuart It may have been different in the 1930s, but when my wife qualified as a primary teacher in the late 1950s, the scene (as I recall it) was 2 years at Teachers' Training College, including short stints in schools under experienced teachers followed by a year in a reasonably large school as a Probationary Assistant teacher. If they had had a successful probationary year, the trainee would be awarded a Teacher's Certificate. Some trainees would be deemed unsuitable and that was it. Once a trainee had been awarded a Teacher's Certificate they were then free to apply for a full time teaching position. Most applied for a number of positions, but usually had to accept one or more relieving positions - some of only a few weeks duration - until selected for a permanent position. From 1938, it was decreed that primary teachers could not advance beyond a certain salary level until they had served three years at a country school. This was known as "Country Service". A career teacher would usually opt to do his or her Country Service early in their teaching career. It was great for bringing fresh blood to country districts, as many city girls were attracted to rural chaps. > Was that a three year course? Not normally, but in the 1950s, and possibly earlier, some Teachers' College students doing specialist subjects often did do an extra year at College eg music, speech therapy,art, nature study - but they were generally allocated across a number of schools. IF things were the same in the 1930s as I remember being told in the 1950s, I would expect that, AND IF Robert George LEDLIE started at Training College in 1936, he is likely to have finished College at the end of 1937, and probably had a placement as a Probationary Teacher in his general area of where he had trained in 1938. Given that Robert was appointed Assistant Master at Ngataki in October 1939, and that he had attended Dunedin Teacher's College, a likely scenario is that he would probably have applied for positions in 1939, and filled one or more relieving positions in Otago, - then seen the position advertised at Ngataki in the Far North, between Kaitaia and North Cape, and though "Why not?". It's quite isolated up there, as you well know, Stuart :-) On the other hand, as Robert was born in November 1914, and would have been aged 21 at the beginning of 1936, he may well have been starting his second year at Training College in that year. In that case, advance these positions one year (excepting the posting to Ngataki) : ie TC say 1935/1936, probationary year 1937, looking for a permanent job from beginning of 1938. For what it's worth, a Robert George LEDLIE, schoolteacher, is listed in the 1938 Dunedin North electoral roll as living at Knox College, so he may have been teaching in a nearby Dunedin school at that time. That's my penny's worth. I am more than happy to be corrected by anyone with better information. Hope it helps Graham Hoult --- original message --- Mon, 16 Jun 2014 09:55:03 +1200 From: "spark" <spark@xtra.co.nz> Subject: [nz] Teaching career 1930s Robert George LEDLIE How can I find information about a young teacher?s career in the 1930s? I know about his military service and death in WWII, but I?m not clear about his movements before he enlisted. Robert George LEDLIE was at Teacher?s College in Dunedin in 1936 (I have one of his textbooks). Was that a three year course? In October 1939 (Auckland Star reference) he was appointed Assistant Master at Ngataki school in the Far North, presumably starting there at the beginning of 1940. In October 1940 he enlisted for the Army in Kaitaia, and in December 1940 was balloted for military service. He entered Burnham Camp on 7 January 1941, and embarked from Wellington with the 4th Reinforcements on 1st February 1941, after one month?s training. George died in a POW camp in Milan on 6 September 1942. Would he have had any teaching appointment before 1940? Are teaching appointments available anywhere? _______________________ Stuart Park Kerikeri, New Zealand spark@xtra.co.nz?