SALARIES AND GRADING.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17750, 30 April 1923, Page 5

SALARIES AND GRADING.

SECONDARY TEACHERS' VIEWPOINT. Questions regarding the salaries and grading of school teachers are discussed at some length in the annual report of the Secondary Schools Assistants' Association, the annual meeting of which will be held in Wellington nest month. The executive states: "As the new system of grading and classification develops, its advantages over the old haphazard system become more and more obvious. Every year the number of appeals becomes fewer. This year there are only seven appeals from over 400 teachers.'*- Nevertheless your executive is not yet satisfied with certain matters pertaining to the scheme of salaries, staffing, and classification.

"In the first place, your executive is as, firmly as ever opposed to the 'cuts.' It takes up the attitude that as the increases were given the teachers as 'increases to salary' and. not as a 'cost-of-living bonus,'*the Government had no right to impose the 'cuts.' When if came to the question of being granted a cost-of-living bonus we were told that we were in tfto same position as the Civil Service, the members of which, by the way, have lost only their bonus. Your executive was fully cognisant of the serious effect of the proposed 'cuts' on the salaries of men teachers. The effect on the women touchers is even more serious. Indeed, women teachers in New Zealand are in receipt of salaries far below those enjoyed by their colleagues in other countries. New Zealand women teachers have to teach classes which every year are becoming larger, to teaah under conditions which every year are becoming lhore exacting. Realising this, your executive, , fully supported by other bodies of teachers, made a strong protest just. before the putting into effect of the 'second cut.' Wo pointed out what the Minister himself had said to Parliament: 'The additional sums were to be regarded not as a cost-of-living bonus, but as increases in salary to a hitherto poorlypaid profession.' We were told in effect that, even if the question of high cost of living did not enter into the discussion in Parliament at that- time, 'seventy-five per cent, of the reasons for increasing teachers' salaries was because of the high.cost of living, and for no other reason.' Howover, as members are aware, our arguments proved in vain. The 'cuts' were'applied; and while* wo do not wish to labour the matter further, we may be allowed to say, by way of conclusion, that unless something is done to increaso staffing and to restore salaries to what they were prior to the 'cuts,' the secondary school service bids fair to become the most unattractive department of ouj edueational service. "In-the second place, your executive desires to point out that on more than one occasion governing bodies have completely ignored the spirit of the regulations, either by refusing to fill grade vacancies on the staff of a school or by bringing in teachers from private schools and placing them over the heads of men and women in every way eligible for promotion.

"In the third place, a considerable amount of dissatisfaction is felt by those teachers who are holding a position lower than one for which they are eligible, and who are not receiving the maximum salary of the lower grade position. This matter will receive the attention'of your Association's general meeting in May next. "Finally, your executive, while welcoming the reduction of service in the various grades, and while approving of academic qualifications for ~ every teacher as an evidence of professional status, is of the opinion that the De-. partment should reconsider the whole question of 'academic qualifications. For example, in our opinion, much more, importance should bo attached to the double degree of 8.A., B.Sc."