KINDERGARTEN PAY Support for trainees

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33520, 29 April 1974, Page 2

KINDERGARTEN PAY Support for trainees

(By out education reporter) Christchurch kindergarten teachers are contemplating strike action in support of salary claims.

The decision of kinder- i garten teacher-trainees 1 to hold a national walk- ( out today has the sup-1 port of most teachers in 1 Christchurch’s 40 kin- \ dergartens. This afternoon the teachers will hold a special meeting ' to decide what further action ’ can be taken in support of 1 higher salaries for kindergar- ' ten teachers and kindergarten ' teacher-trainees. There is strong pressure in , Christchurch for a more mili- , tant stand by kindergarten teachers, but this is being , withheld in the meantime 1 because of inconvenience to ; parents. Traditionally, kindergarten : teachers have worked through the New Zealand Free Kindergarten Teachers’ Association on all salary matters, but the action of kindergarten teacher-trainees in organising a walk-out has polarised opinion among kindergarten teachers who feel that their association has been too reticent in seeking better salaries, training, and conditions. The kindergarten teachers are dissatisfied with what they say are grossly inadequate salaries compared with those paid to teachers in the primary school service. First-year head teachers in kindergartens are paid $3250 a year. They have responsibility for 80 children, they must maintain and clean kindergartens, often act as parental advisors, and also have the responsibility for children with special disorders who do not always go on to the ordinary primary school but are accepted at kindergartens. The average fortnightly salary for kindergarten teachers is about $9O. This figure is described as “ludicrous" bi’ Christchurch kindergarten teachers. They say that moves to encourage men to take up kindergarten teaching will founder unless

there are substantial salary increases. Until New Zealand follows the Australian example and grants parity with primary teachers' salaries the status of pre-school education will suffer. PAY LOSSES Kindergarten teachertrainees who take part in the walk-out today will have a proportion of their salary deducted. This will also apply to students from primary and secondary divisions of Christchurch Teachers’ College who take part in stopwork meetings. The Dunedin branch of the Kindergarten Teachers’ Association will not support stop-work action although it sympathises with its student teachers, but a march on Parliament will take place in Wellington, the Press Association reported last night.