LEAVE ON PAY NOT GRANTED

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21243, 15 August 1934, Page 12

LEAVE ON PAY NOT GRANTED

MASTER TO TRAVEL WITH SCHOOL ATHLETES MINISTER'S EXPLANATION [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, August 14. A full explanation of his decision to grant leave of absence on pay to the master travelling with the New Zealand team of secondary school athletes to Melbourne for the centenary was made by the Minister for Education (the Hon. R. Masters) to-day. The Minister said that a published report made it appear that he was not keen on the visit taking place; but as a matter of fact the difficulty lay in the lack of power in the existing regulations to grant leave on pay in such a case. "There is provision for leave on account of sickness, accident, or attendance at the University Senate, the Teachers' Superannuation Board, the Teachers' Grading Appeal Board, conferences called by the Education jjepartment, examination for teachers' certificates or a university degree," continued Mr Masters. "There is also a clause which states that a board may, with the approval of the Minister, grant leave of absence to any teacher for the purpose of visiting schools or other educational institutions in New Zealand or elsewhere, and that the teacher shall receive during the period of absence such salary (if any) as may be prescribed by regulation or approved by the Minister. In my opinion, however, being in charge of a party of athletes at the Melbourne centenary celebrations 'cannot be regarded as coming within the scope and intention of this clause. "The Secondary Schools' Association suggested to me that if the manager were placed under an obligation to investigate some aspect of secondary education in Victoria, the spirit of the regulations could be fulfilled; but this did not appeal to me, and I am sorry that it was advanced. Moreover, thflre is no investigation that the Department requires to be made concerning secondary education in Victoria. I regret that the arrangements which the association had in hand for sending a certain teacher as manager should have broken down owing to there being no authority to grant leave On pay; but I have no doubt about a representative being forthcoming as a result of a circular which, I understand, the association is sending to its members inviting applications for the position."