Teachers Want Higher Pay

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31323, 20 March 1967, Page 1

Teachers Want Higher Pay

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 19. The New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association will ask the Government again for increased salaries and better conditions. At an emergency meeting today members decided to take whatever action they thought necessary if the Government did not agree to the proposals.

The president (Mr J. S. Webster) said this could be drastic at the time but would benefit education in the long run. The present critical staffing situation would become worse, education would lapse and the country would face a serious problem if teaching conditions were not improved, he said.

“We will need 3000 more teachers in the next five years —one third of these to replace present “filling in” staff, who are unsuited to the profession. The main proposals are for increased first-year salaries and smaller classes. The association wants an increase of more than £2OO for first-year graduate teachers. Graduates entering other Government departments- received £2OO more than those who took up teaching, Mr Webster said. The association will also ask for smaller classes on the basis of the Currie commission. which sets sixth form classes at 20 and third, fourth and fifth forms at 30. It will recommend- that these teachers teach for 60

per cent of the week and spend the remainder watching other teachers and having time to mark and prepare testsMembers also want increased ancillary aid. This includes clerical work, preparing tests, setting up science apparatus and handing out textbooks.