EDUCATION MATTERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 176, 20 April 1908, Page 9

EDUCATION MATTERS.

HON. G. FOWLDS INTERVIEWED. . 1 TEACHERS'. SALARIES. . ' (iiv TEiasiurn—srEci.M. cohiie3l'ondp.nt.) | •( • iChrfstohurcK, April 18. In an interview with the -Minister for Education oil Educational affairs, the question of teachers' salaries was bound to conic up, and, speaking to » " Times" reporter on tho subject, Mr. Eowlds entered upon a defence pf his ■ Department'? attitude in the matter. He said ho could easily understand and sympathiso with tho desire of the teachers for increased remuneration. -'But you must remember," -he explained, "that more and moro of the cost-of education is being placcd upon tho shoulders of tho State. The vote for education 1 is going up by lenjis and bounds, and,' however legitimate tlio expenditure may be, "it Js apt to take the taxpayers' breath 'away when' it progresses by hundreds of thousands." Mr. Eowlds warmly resents the suggestion that he is keeping the salaries down at a starvation level. ' - "Of course,'' ho said, "you cannot : measuro a teacher's salary exactly as you would a navvy's wages, by tlio' number •of hours he-works in school. Thero is a lot of work: ho does out of school, whibli wo all appreciate, but it is a little interesting 1 to see what a teacher's salary means estimated by tho time test. A salary of v £'looa year for forty-three school weeks . represents a payment of Is. l()Jd. an hour; £150 a year, 2s. ,!)Jd. an hour; and So on. Tho teachers are' well worth these rates, aiid many of them more; but as. tho great majority of tlio people who supply tho money reccivc much less themselves, it is, not/so very.easy to persuade their representatives, in Parliament that the teachers should lie receiving more. Tlio majority of the .taxpayers have a, habit of measuring other pcoplo's salaries by their own, and in this they easily reach the conclusion that the. teachers are being very well : paid." Mr. Fowlds does not-' sliaro this opinion to the extent of thinking that nothing remains to he done,in tlur matter of payment-. He is bound to move' .cautiously, ' simply' bccaus'e • the funds v are limited, and there are urgent demands upon them from other directions, but lie hopes to romovo anomalies, ,and gradually to improve tho condition of tho teachers until their profession is raised-' to the position it' should' occupy in tho community.