The Press FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1968. University Salaries

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31587, 26 January 1968, Page 14

The Press FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1968. University Salaries

The Association of University Teachers has produced several compelling arguments in support of salary increases for university staff. These arguments boil down to one: unless salaries are increased the universities will soon have insufficient staff to maintain either the volume or the standard of tuition the country expects from them. The reason given for a decline in staff is simply the higher salaries that university teachers can earn in other countries. About half the teachers in Australian universities earn at least $7500. Ninety per cent of New Zealand university teachers, including professors, are paid less than that sum. The highest salary for lecturers in New Zealand is equal to the lowest lecturer’s salary in Australia. On the score of salaries the association can show that New Zealand university posts are less attractive in the international market for talent. Fortunately, pay alone does not determine where all teachers work. Professor D. Cochrane, of Monash University, in his presidential address to the economics section of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science, did not discuss international competition for university staff, merely referring, in light-hearted manner, to the lag in New Zealand salary increases. Examining the possible consequences of a reduction in university staff the association rightly rejects the notion that the standards for appointments might be lowered. The universities would do far better to reject students than to appoint poor teachers. Although many students are capable of attaining high standards on their own initiative many others would fail for the want of adequate guidance. The failure of potentially capable students is wasteful. The association has argued that an increase in the amount of teaching at the expense of research would “ fairly soon ” result in the lowering of teaching standards. It is true that university teachers, more than any others in the profession, must maintain their own standards of learning and inquiry, and if overwhelming demands of teaching deny them the opportunity to share in the progress of their disciplines their value as teachers will certainly diminish. Nor will other teachers be induced to join their ranks. A temporary increase in the teaching load should not be seriously damaging provided universities can give their departments an assurance that a better balance will be restored. New Zealand’s economic difficulties cannot be divorced from this problem and speculation on how long an increase in salaries must be delayed is fairly risky. By next year the direction that Die economy will take and the effects of the disparity in university salaries should both be much clearer.

As soon as possible the University Salaries Committee should recommend appropriate salary increases. The Government can concede immediately the need for salary increases in due course, but it would be wise to postpone the payment of higher salaries for 12 months or so. University salaries are one of the major determinants of salaries paid to senior public servants and schoolteachers, and hence, at one remove, to the rest of the public service, to local body employees, to professional workers employed by private industry, and so on. A wave of increases in salaries at this stage would erode much of the benefit to be gained from devaluation this year. Deferment of salary increases for university staffs would therefore make an important contribution to stability. Most university staff members will, no doubt, accept this as their contribution towards the recovery of the economy—provided the Government’s spokesman are frank with them and do not procrastinate by evasion. This will be a difficult year for the universities, and the Government would do well to admit it and appeal to the teaching staffs for their co-operation. Recruiting will be more than usually difficult, with a consequent increase in the teaching loads of many teachers: the money-seekers in our universities will look for jobs elsewhere; some research may have to be cut or deferred; and some restrictions may have to be imposed on student rolls. These are hard decisions for a government, as well as a university, to face. Educators are—rightly—emphatic that spending on education is one of the last items of government spending which should be pruned in times of stringency. The rest of the community cannot be expected to accept its hardships uncomplainingly if the most highly educated section of salary earners behaves irresponsibly.