Teachers’ salary claims

Press, 9 May 1978, Page 24

Teachers’ salary claims

Sir, — D. W. Collins (May 5) apparently does not believe that teaching is as much in need of the right people as is the police force. If society decided it could dispense with our education system, schooling would again become the preserve of the rich who would thereby ensure that effective control of our society remained with an educated elite. The majority of citizens, without the benefit of schooling, would have fitted well into the labour intensive industries of last century — but what of today’s complex

world? New Zealand in the 1970 s demands a steady stream of well-educated young people to undertake the thousands of specialised tasks required to keep this society running. If the supply is seriously depleted our society will decay and perhaps even collapse. Just as we need good recruits for the police force, so do we need good recruits for the teaching profession. The alternatives should be unacceptable. — Yours, etc., R. F. BROWNE. May 6, 1978.

Sir, — One of your correspondents suggests, rather naively, that teachers should stop moaning about inadequate salaries and sup-, plement their income with part-time jobs. Surveys within the profession have shown that secondary teachers are already working very long hours. Saturday sport, P.T.A. meetings and trips away with form classes are but a few of the extracurricular activities. It is also unethical and possibly illegal for teachers to work during term time as employing boards, perhaps a little more in touch with the realities of secondary school teaching than your correspondent, realise that secondary teaching is not a 9-5 job but rather an occupation that is demanding and stressful. — Yours, etc..

C. E. CRAYMER. May 7, 1978.

Sir, — Secondary teachers are fed up. We must now endure not only the humiliating contempt of those pupils who consider us less than human, but also the taunts of those of the public who expect us to be more than humanly long-suffering, and to work for the sheer joy of it. Enjoyment is insufficient reward for the approximately 60 hours I work a week. It is no fun devoting every evening and week= end to marking and preparation; the classroom alone is exhausting enough. “Give up, then,” advise vour correspondents. That would

solve nothing. Five years of costly training would be wasted, the experience gained from nine vears teaching lost to the profession: the problems facing secondary education would remain. However, until secondary teachers receive a just wage, schools will continue losing skilled staff. Unless the negotiating machinery is rapidly overhauled to permit true salary negotiations, the outlook for secondary education is bleak. — Yours, etc., LORRAINE GRAY. May 7, 1978.