NOTES ON EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 155, 25 March 1908, Page 4

NOTES ON EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL INTER'EST IN-TEACH-* SOME . ■ In the spring of .1997" '.thV'Department of ..Education of Indiana :.'Umversi.ty undei-took an possible, the {•superintendents'{and views of pre-', iiyailing- inotho.ds for inspiring professional : ''-.'interest.- :Tbe ' following', , question, . among ""What,{is.. being : done,.„aiid ); what .can bo t ■ (salary, increase of salary,;.and other , kinds, ;: of■: pr(M^^9.^...;.'lJl^^ > s^s!avi^t^:^chorß, j !,/ consider »nd{ oil; what .groinptJ^iu is based' - — ..Here aro.'some' of the replies -which; were ; ; ; rec(>ived. Ti:e salary".; question has been,' l and'.'still is,'.creating; a vital . interest. Every :::reply expressea a hop# &Jjiu jthe ■ cntiro schedule of sAlarri?B' > -in'Th^-rt<jsi?.iUT.nre, ' or states' that there has; been..-au increase .'{lately.;The..prevailingv-jfincthodj p ;,qL Jni salary "is" fro'Ai 'muin to, a- masimiun, .without'.much <wqsidera;':'.:4icNd. J. 'f Though "this .increase I>p a' maximum hastxl Jiipon experience ]:a5 been ran.d is still ' tho, xustoma'ry'.'rtibtheil' of in'ereaso,''Tihcro' is 'a ...tendency .'now of'special compensation for . merit.- Superintendent Carroll, of Roche- ; - "Thero must of course, be affixed minimum ;•salary.';'for ■ all, tiea.9h.ers /when,Vtliey / are _ {.elected. . .Increase ■ of-'-'salary l - shbuiftfi bo'''re- ! -' .'' gular ' and stated ' until . some'; maximum is reached. . ..This .advance :• should bo based upon merit to :the • extent 'that'; no;. person - should bo advanced or - retained iii the ser-,:.-vice who is ;not : to /.this,!iisome ...system 'of: • merit r .should beadopted by means of which teachers who aro /.clearly.- m-'-.a class;'by • themselves profession- ; ally, should roaoivo a larger salary than pre-.."scribed-by tho maximum." / Gordy, r.-af-,. Springfield,-, if '• maximum .111 all tho ■■ grades.'i'or tho first seven ij^adßSis-' M: dQjjarsl-'&bpyiß general id i'the eiglffH grade" At ja 100 dollars above; and--in the ninth i {grade it -ifi '.'aboyei"; j ; - i-j-;, ; > -'{Bat-rment. is "re-"' ' torasting-in considering--fthis ;• question of special of.-jinent, .to hear; frpm ■the teachers r themselVes,'ij-.upon":.tho-subject.... • -One teacher writes: —"l- behove.,that:.be-. ■ ._yond a fixed maxiinum7of;:sal»ry • readied %' • ja fixed tenu : ofvexponence,ift/hore-should-!bei ■itinother ..{maximum. •;.a"ttaihe'diivthrbughi'suc-? •..xessivo mcrements'Vby i I -spccial'::-prolicicncy,-; ■ongmahty, or advanced scholarship. . This 1 mould; supplement; .the'iregularslines 'of •''proi'' 1 ;imotion to priiicipal'sliij>s/ and- 1 trmhing'School' •' • r r by;'aif iTdcognltibn'.'to| '< ;,/a' larger. rcasoiiabi^^'"a^-' : piro to- tliaso- limited ■'-■ placed "at' the -,secondly, by keopmg a greater number 01 iirst-elass in' tho -rank's, Tvliero, they'iinay serve aat'the'litilff^yoni' 1 ; 1 j ; iby.;encouraging, specialisation along linos of \ greatest-, interest i arid italent^C^ : .... AnothpK-tayS.rT'.'Tlicro'Jhbhld'bd increases- ■ .made for especially s efficien't.j'j:..ry ; '"'Let teach-' V. onee-i understand ..that -merit, and merit vitop/;-ls^'.th^;l)iMis:'''6fs'promdtionj^aiid- : -tho t- , inspiration will tako care of itself." ; Though. ment dosOTve3...particular. recognition,, it is akmej- ean-bo jinado tho .basis of rfchd'/Salary'"scheiluie.'"'Various conditions may prevent perfect. juAice from ■ being •# done. Personal . favouritism, svon though .uuconsciously.,iobeyed,~ .-fco. rule a. .decision. t : -. Mistake ', are,, liable .- simply 1 because;' ,;,ar.o':{not' / \;-'*H^ce,'' i . the ' two .'m.ethods/ '-ile'.y tho gradual ' iricrease' - x with, experience;' and--thb-'Spi«ial'"emphaSi's' on ■ ..merit,; - ■schcmo for v incrcaso... ifty. per,c.eht.',!qf thecities!,•,from■ wj'iic'h l • Tcplies Here received, reward::.scholarship:' .y|eveland ; _ .Ohio, cpllego.'; gradjjates.l.are" eligiblo to-the second ..year '.of''.thb:firslelass. • ■f n .. R. 1., '"College"'graduates : teaWimg ->m •; tho -grades,:inayj.)«' transferred' to tuo high - schools with salaries' ranginit J™? 5 ~'M - dollars,- to-'vlßoo •; -.dollars, - - for -yj- Mass.fiwhereto eightli-graao teafcli'ers :raay, 'receivo ; 100 Mol:iars, • and ■ the ;,pinfch : abovo > tno , general inasitnTim^; J Drdad'; scholarship. is ior .m: toachors'.of theso in iact, it js endeavoured to get as many col- . lego graduates . a 3. possible. ■ thg i djstric_t..;bi'„.Columbia,-. there---are-exauiinations for. promotion -in salary." : The tollomng waa received .from. Superintendent ~Mqtt,. of llichmond, Ind. :—"Wo pay toach- ,; ,crs holding State. licenses' for moro than ; ; .three years (five. or.; six,' or., life, licenses) , 50 ; ' :irs .more a -year - than .ot-her -teachers iii '.■tbo.. same. work.;. Again, wo .pay. tecchers who reeeive. havo rcceivcd. a' llaater's : oO 'tho -fiame-woTk. > rheße'difterenf recoghitiotts of v .schplarsto andv jnerifoseem'-tbsihstiirot-fetiidii on-the part;:o£ the-; : i.The iteridimey ■ 1 , - encouraging " broider '' , onl y six of tho: superintendehts ' answered • the . ; te,f, yvrhat v ; teaeJjors v oon- • "aer,. promotion; !,':. %Of ?ihese, five. ®clutle'-iii-;:their: answers;..';higher. salaries." One- : sun- , plements . this a : moro ,4esirable_kind of ,work." - Another puts it v.thus:^-Promotion, to, a .better-paring posiMon. Superintendent' Small adds, "Some: v re f o s," ls e .'that increasetl. responsibility, ho I sai ?? salary,.'is'a rccocnition of r«i 1' , aml v llon , co > promotion.. Erom • Cleveland _ eame the - suggestion"Usually .. a change from;grade to' grade: up the.grades i looking _.oventually,.. ; to. princii3alship.-i? T But i ' 11 E ' I>r ° motion there is an increase in ;;.^Pcssiblf;- some ;w«f- ; bo lilcked' at ' the nrn' n;t eW of ' the -%cbers' - idea- of Others will recognise that in'ihA fS? 1 ; >9rld.;the,appree4ion M g^aSr worth or{value_is ; expressed? =by pariim a ' ' hnf 6- - V " n, ,11S " c tr,ie 'M : .'aiono .in °the , trades : .but ,in the profession An e-cnerf • .fe,f^pn: demands. a high C ' y should .teaching be an ?

: TEACHERS' SALARIES/

a. meeting T .of .Soiith. i:Canterbury Branch,of the .New, Zealand'.MuQat-ional-lii--6titutc,- -Zcaiand'^JSurua!' of Iklucatioii, idr. J. A. Valentine read 1 a paper .condemning-.tho system .of payment of teachers upon averago- attendance. f , . ■ - a oojith Cantgrb.iiry remit £o ; tho annual* conferono? holdup* $Au&ty'm! tfi&sys-j tern had ; been'."described • iiß* ''iniq uitous." .inis, . it . had .boon'-urged,' was-.-tcov strong 'a- • * ™, •?!£ •'% did'^not"'think so. Again, the .E/ytt-elton Timo§";-(January 7) wi a J?ad,er ; referring to 'tho ;New Zealand :ideational Institute,-had sjiid that it was remarkably and:somewhat disquieting to observe,. the; extent to. which tho question of salaries, was monopolising tho'.attention of the j..tlucatiorial-. Instituto. '; "Monopolise" w„s 'Strong a.'word in this connection, but no was good reason for tho great , amount pf attention' at" present-being devoted" io tho matter m question. Thero wero -in t South Cantorbury.l26 adulfc teach6rs). andHhoir salaries, •Departmental assertions, to tho, contrary notwithstandin'g L depeqded.directly-, on tho awr-j ago attqudanbr',at' their, fsclidols. ■ At < t}iV Education: Board's January- Meeting the secretary reported,that ;tlii3:-year;.nb",fewer than l-Si teachers'in thisdistrict. would, bo rcd'ucikT in salary,', most of X'drbp in' tho average attendance Cat thoir' Vcliooia, Mr.' Valontino,. --prpccpdoct' to.Tglvoi'-particulars^ : «f' somo of tlioso:' cases', four'. ofMvliich' 'as : follow.— •'» .! v.. ' -7; ! < r--- . 'T

:■ . A has bebn? teaching , 'f6r 20 years'; lias recoived varying amounts as annual salary:' for 1906-7 received £180 a year. This year,'-'be-cause theat:?h'rs:'school'lias he:;is "Heciivmjf; £105 a year. . .Yot "ho , is moro efficient than over, before,.'. .with ■ greateijo'pjtpcricnco higher certificate,As fop pjl-Jthis "ho'.loses £15i a':y6ar:.'in-'salary fcecausothq'. average atfc&'ndarice is-' 46; instead - of "56. <' This" teachor, 35 :.yoars :of. -is earning £165 a year'and a hou'so,'while, according to.-Sir- J,p^ph ; .^ard^s ; .vre£elitr. T .'monts,'a' v '£e'legraph boy of to-day may, at 28 years of ago, after servicc,- receive. £220 a year. ' ■ ' B has tad 30 years' oxperience. Twenty years ago ho wasiroooiving £150 a year;

aftor 20. ybflrs of servico lie was receiving /■El'fit.ii. yea?, aiVdMibwjV because hia average attendfeiTico tas I'a 1 Jejrt, -hp is receiving £150 ;a year,'lsr .jjjf year, -not only •does lij's salary deorjasQiji %t his' liouso allowance (£2O l«stvypar)s;drop3 to £10! C his bc'on 'tcabtiing 'some 28 years, aiijl 2G vcujrs ago was receiving £130 a year, Last year h'ehad £144. This year ho is getting £fl3o i&causo his averago is-22 instead of 26. j In ;&11 .'theso eases,; biv it noted, thd teache|s stilj work .as. many, hours per week as before. .A- i D last year,, received £144. , Owing to epidemics; etji®, ? after practising' all' Departmental devices, last yearis. averago was .25J of KG] and tho'k'ilnry, drop 3 £14 a yoay.' -It says;n great deal for the honesty of 'this! tehchep that ,t-ho average didn't in somo .wavT.luni ontSte'be to 26—when wotild 1 . havo.iresiiMl. , ■ .;V:;^aslit'aqy{w6nder.that the salaries' qnesof tho. Insti-. Tiite's 'timo? or. that woro not entering tho profession? teachers .Biight, as he', had shown,; bccomo' nioro efficient' and moro highly qualified, : and r .as '#rf6jardj• suffer considerable reduction in "hat could they do to • help y these; 18'iteiclfers, ?—thoro might bo 18 more'Snoxt year. ' "Let us. educate tho •pufijip mind: as tjir^he.-.-,feditions governing th<s payment; of our-salarics-; let us. get these .real grievances /into our' newspapers; let us 'din thejm inti •fcheifat? ibfcoiir K.P.'s.,,'and at' last' pqrhajis the Minister' for .Education will see . thai .bfeuae/pf;' tho iniquitous system •of payment! on average 'attendance,' there exists [in :t& irarilis - : 6f' r 6ui*'profession scetlt;ing>dissati^actitni;aiijli'AlwTi.perhaps reform *ma,V' J c6me.'iV !■ ..' '■

> Tho |speafer, .thought that the .remedy; lay. 'along tho lilies laid down by' thiol N.Z.E.I.'s promotion j;6cnomo". adopted at Auckland. Some authority was needed which could say .to. any; teaijier whose average was falling— " fty .'of^6ffi?efficiency;'• you are entitled [to' aft larger ...school.' 5 ! {'Be transferred to it.";' I", i^y ' In Conehision, Mr. Valentino moved:— " That; '.teachers,be reffcrrei 1 to' tho Exeeutivo of the. New •Zealand Educational Institute, with a, rc,quest' I't}wi-'t™tli'ey™ T l>e—.submitted :to tho •Sinister for. Education for his consideration; particulars -of tho most glaring cases b'o, senate our _locsl^M?.'sr v -, with a request that tho. attention <M tho' Minister be drawn to .them in Parliaihe'iitf that our local ,M;P.'s|!be asked' to. urge: upon .the Minister will' in -iiituro '.prevent such i-iniustico to any member of our- profession." Tho motion,{ seconded by Jlr.'.Dalglish, was carried L unanimously.