N.Z. SCHOOLS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8831, 6 May 1914, Page 7

N.Z. SCHOOLS.

EXPERIENCES OF A SCOTTISH

TEACHER.

The following appears in the "Weekly Scotsman" of' March 21st:

"I am a New Zealand State school teacher, trained at Moray House, who j came here with another Edinburgh- 1 trained teacher a few years ago; so, c knowing teachers' work both i here and jj in Scotland, I am qualified to; express a ' an opinion. ; Salaries. A teacher in Scotland works under better conditions than here—the schools are better built and equipped, and the classes smaller. As to \\ salaries, New Zealand has a Dominion c scale of salaries, and schools are y staffed and salaries paid on the basis "V of average attendance. The lowest T salary: paid is £90,. equivalent to £60 J { rat home; the highest for a woman £240, rising to £270, and for a man, £400 to £450. Four women in the' Dominion can receive this top salary, and seven men get £400 or more. Most Boards make it a rule that young teachers must do two years' country service before they receive I! promotion. TJncertificated teachers are „, now few, and are being gradually re- i placed by certificated. The principalsof training colleges .receive £500 as ° such, and generally add £100 by lee- ?' turing on education at the University ti College of their city. Inspectors re- n ceive less. The Inspector-General ©f Cl Schools, who has charge of all the jq education of the Dominion had as d initial salary of £600, and now has nreached the maximum of £700. j Promotion. v On coming here during a dearth of j r teachers I xaught, in a city school, over 160 children—three standards— with the heip of one pupil-teacher, and all the singing, sewing, and girls' drill of the scliool, at a salary of £105 (home equivalent, £70); and my friend taught Standards HI. and IV. (90 c children) in another school, at a salary a of £90 (home, £60). We are singularly £ fortunate in getting promotion, but we | know other Scottish teachers who have come since-pquite as well trained and ■"• as able—who seem to have got c stranded where they started. It seems quite probable that some of them will never get beyond £120' salary^ One correspondent mentions an £800 salary. There are none such in State primary schools, but there are colleges \ for boys and girls—mostly connected ' with the Anglican Church—which con- .-, sider themselves on a par with such T: schools as Clifton and Eton, where im- i ported headmasters receive as much as ; £1000 a year. These appointments .are usually made at Home. Domestic Service. As to domestic servants, the following is the experience of my sister, j She advertised for a capable general, < and received many applicants. She, asked them to name their wage (she being a very " new chum "), and thendemands ranged from 8s to 18s a week. For 18s (equals 12s at Home) her maid does all cooking, baking, washing, and (housework of a seven-roomed house, and attends to two children a good deal. She considers herself .extremely fortunate in her situation.! ltt-"the best boarding-house of the city the cook, at 20s, is the best paid servant, other wages ranging from 15s downwards. . „ . • , Doubtless there are highly paid domestic posts in New Zealand, since they are to be read of in Home papers, but I am certain that every one works well for every penny earned in tin; country. That need not be unpleasant, however, if one has the disposition to enjoy life. . , I hope this may save some teacher di«appointment.-A. 1/ Chnstclrarch, N.Z.