SALARY CLAIM SUPPORTED

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32382, 22 August 1970, Page 14

SALARY CLAIM SUPPORTED

Further support for the New Zealand Educational Institute’s salary claim has come from the Christchurch Teachers’ College Students’ Association and the Canterbury Education Board.

In a statement yesterday the president of the students’ association (Mr R. Johnstone) said any rise in the salaries of practising primary teachers would be followed by a request for similar re-evalu-ation from the Christchurch primary teacher trainees who formed the only teachers’ college branch of the Educational Institute in the comtry. “If the N.Z.E.I. does not take strike action I would expect students in colleges throughout the country to make similar moves—this would be in accord with the expressions of solidarity students have made with their practising colleagues.” In its support for the N.Z.E.I. salary claim the Education Board decided to contact the Minister of Education (Mr

Taiboys) telling him of concern at the need to improve the primary teachers’ conditions. “We should get behind the N.Z.E.I. as the employing authority,” Mr A. Manning said in proposing that support for the institute should be expressed. “It is our duty to do this.” Mr D. L. Waghorn said that while he supported “in principle” the primary teachers’ claims he deplored any talk of strike action. “I think they should withdraw this threat,” he said, The salary claim will form the substance of a special general meeting of all branches of the Educational Institute in Wellington on Sunday following a meeting with the Education Services Committee today.