Teachers’ salary claims

Press, 8 May 1978, Page 20

Teachers’ salary claims

Sir, — As a teacher in middle management, I view with dismay D. W. Collins’s advice to young teachers (May 5) to stop complaining about relatively low salaries and to move on to a better paid job. Unfortunately, from my point of view, too many are doing just that. Rapid turnover in staff does not benefit the pupils and certainly makes my job harder. Teachers do not argue against fair wages for other workers. But D. W. Collins must realise that, after four or five years on students’ allowances, young teachers have financial leeway to make up. They and their families are prepared to support the schools with their brains and their time. They should not also be called upon to subsidise the education system by accepting low wages. — Yours, C. NEWMAN.

May 5, 1978. Sir, — Teachers join others who have chosen to compare their salaries with those of the police. They are railway engine-drivers, traffic officers, firemen, prison officers, probation officers and probably a few more. As much as we need all these people, as wp need school teachers, the simple answer is: If you like the police salaries, why not join the police? There is nothing to stop school teachers if thev are under 35 changing their careers. I can think of a lot of reasons why they should. I would welcome their presence to our fold. As for salaries, what they are using is the ploy of many others and quoting maximum salaries. They are overlooking such things as night rate payments, danger allowance, penal time, etc. I can tell them right now that the basic salary of a constable is close on $2OOO less than the figure at present

being bandied around. — Yours, etc., R. A. COOK. May 6, 1978. Sir, — New Zealand is rapidly approaching the crazy predicament the United States found itself in not so long ago. We are obsessed with higher education, resulting in a surplus of professionals all bawling for more money. The United States (whose trends we gradually follow, even though their mistakes glare us in the face) found they simply did not have enough tradesmen, so over-populated were they with college graduates.

H. GILES, Saltwater Creek.

May 4, 1978.

New Zealand does not encourage trade apprenticeships; only large firms can cope with the demands made by the Apprenticeship Commission. The United States is crying out for top tradesmen and is paying top wages to them. Stop pouring out the professionals who often go overseas to find good jobs. Give the practical youngsters Some priority, and give more encouragement to the firms prepared to see them through an apprenticeship. — Yours, etc.,