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Show UTAH SCHOOLS WILL BE SHORT OF TEACHERS THIS YEAR When school bells ring in September, Sep-tember, most elementary schools in the state will have a shortage of certificated teachers, N. J. Barlow, Bar-low, assistant state superinten-den superinten-den of public instruction, aaid Tuesday. Particularly in rural areas is the shortage of elementary teachers teach-ers acute, he said. Last school year some 1500 Utah teachers were employed under letters of authorization in absence of sufficient suf-ficient qualifications to be certificated, certifi-cated, and the number this year will be at least as large, he said. Teachers, as the general population, popu-lation, tend to drift to the metropolitan metro-politan areas, Mr Earlow said, leaving the rural districts short-handed. short-handed. Even with salaries comparable com-parable in city and country school, he said, teachers "gravi- ! tate to the larger communities." Though the teacher situation still is fluid, indications are that even metropolitan areas will not be fully staffed without use of letters of authorization, Mr. Barlow Bar-low said. Because of the possibility possibil-ity of opening school short-staffed, many superintendents have refused re-fused to allow teachers to break contracts. He said "several hundred" teachers could be used to fill the ranks completely, but to fill all positions with fully qualified teachers would require at least 1500. Most of the uncertificated teachers are in elementary schools with many specialists, such as music, physical education and home making teachers in high schools signed with letters of authorization to teach during the shortage. . ( Though the number of students studying education in colleges in the state has increased, Mr. Barlow Bar-low forsees a continued shortage of teachers for several years. To further heighten the need for elementary teachers, the "first crop of war babies" will enter school this fall. It is estimated that at least 1000 more first graders in the state will enter school this year than last, being principally In the metropolitan areas. Mr. Barlow said the state education edu-cation office's survey on physical plants of school districts indicated indi-cated "no matter how badly they need new buildings, they can't be built now" without state assiat- ance. |