THE EDUCATION BILL

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 280, 19 August 1908, Page 8

THE EDUCATION BILL

TEACHERS' SALARIES. SOME STRIKINC COMPARISONS. [By Socrates.] When the new Education Bill was first circulated, and its provisions wore made public, it received a complimentary reception. Its most striking clauses were those which removed certain anomalies in the present system of appointing teachers, and, generally speaking, placed the administrative aspect of the Now Zealand education system upon a more equitablo basis; here the architects of the measure undoubtedly scored heavily. It was also admitted that the re-adjustments of salaries under a new system of grading were more satisfactory than at present obtains.

Still Far From Satisfactory. During the time which has elapsed since the first appearance of the measure, however, it has been analysed very searchingly by various individuals and bodies representative of the teaching profession, and tho results of their investigations would seem to indicate that, without _ depreciating_ tho progress of public and parliamentary opinion on the question of adequate remuneration for members of tho teaching profession which has taken place since 1901, tho financial status of teachors, as compared > with other branches of tho New Zealand Public Service, is still far from satisfactory; any impression which obtains to tho contrary ought to be dispelled by a study of tho comparative tablo of salaries. and status of 'school teachers and members of two important civil departments—-tho Railways and the Post

and_ Telegraph Departments—which accompanies this articlo. Tho statistical facts sot forth in tho tablo have been prepared, with no small labour, from the latest departmental returns, by tho Executivo Committee of tho New Zealand Educational Institute, and prove, with overwhelming force, that there has not yet been recognised tho simple fact that tho rate of payment to members of the teaching profession, as compared with, for example,. those of the Departments indicated in the table already mentioned, is absurdly low.

Having secured equity of administration, which was badly needed, it now remains for public opinim to bo educated to a recognition of tho fact that the toaching profession, financially considered, deserves better of those whom it serves. It is freoly recognised by tho profession that under the now Bill benefits aro conferred when they, aro most deserved, and every amendment of tho existing system is in tho right direction. An Extra Tiny Drop, What, exactly, is tho extent to which, under the new Bill, tho teachers of New Zealand will bo financially bettered? Including house allowance, the average annual salary per individual is, under the oxisting scale, £149 14s. 2d.; under tho new scalo it works out at £151 lis. 9d., or an increase of £1 17s. 7d.—roughly speaking, 9d. per week. Excluding house allowance from tho calculation, the net average increase per individual is £1 15s. ltid. If tho schools classified under tho regulations as Grade 0, with an avorago attendance of less than 15, and a,salary of £80, bo omitted, tho net increase per individual then works out at £1 19s. An Irishman's Rise. Turning to the district high schools, it is somewhat of a shock to find that the assistants ill tho secondary departments of these institutions will, under the now scale, receive what is known as an Irishman's rise, at least tho average works out to that unsatisfactory result. Tho average annual

salary, in fact, is reduced frcm £170 under tho present scalo to £158 under tho new scalo. A small grain of comfort to these secondary assistants is tho prospect that most of these schools concerned in tho proposed reductions will, it is understood, bo absorbed into high schools proper. The opportunity now presents itself for a comparison of tho average and individual emoluments, of primary school teachers with those of the Civil servants. Undor the new scale, tho average salary of members of tho teaching profession may, including house allowance, be set down at £151 lls.'Jd.—say £152. Some Wage-Equivalents. A glanco at. tho accompanying tablo shows that,in the railway service, this salary (£152) is earned by second-grade painters, storemen, guards, and first-grado gangers. Tho Post and Telegraph Department pays its secondgrado letter-carriers, drivers, and linesmen a like salary. Senior assistants in the largo city schools, headmasters of country schools with a staff of two assistants, aro paid tho minimum wages of a first-class carpenter or painter in the Railway Department (grade B}, or the minimum salary of a sixth-class clork in the Post and Telegraph Department! Tho so-called "plums" of the teaching profession, when oxperienco and capacity for responsibility of a high order is demanded, aro awarded salaries which in the Railway Department may bo earned by a fourth-grado clork, or, in tho Post and Telegraph Department, by a third-class clerk. A first-class clork in tho railways receives anything from £600 to £650 per annum, which is moro than ovon a school inspector may dream of. Tho Government freoly granted something_ liko £75,000 increase of wages for tho Railway Department in one section alono. It is the desiro of tho profession that tho new Bill may pass, as it is considered worthy of a placo m tho progross of Parliamentary opinion. But they desiro to make clear tho fact that tho standard of remuneration has by no means beon readied.

The above table may be interpreted very simply, thus:— «. Graups , A tO , E J' tller S '1856 teachers (of whom about 270 are men) who will rcccive under the new Bcalo, 'salaries raneine frnm that of a second-grade horse-driver to that of a second-grade painter in tho railway service. Gronps Pto I include 831 teachers (of whom ahoS 450 are . men, mostly married men), who will receive, under the new scale, salaries ranging from that of a second-grado sailmakeHo that of an cjghth-grade clerk in tho railway service, or from that of a second-grade letter-carrier to that of a first-grade letter-carrie™ The foregoing remarks apply to 2,687 out of the total number'of 3269 teachers in tho Dominion. Tho remainder, 436, who aro'the bcst-niM teachers in the service, receive salaries ranging from that of a seventh-grade clerk to that of a third-grade clerk in the railway department With reference to the salaries of the secondary assistants at the district high schools, whose salaries, under the new scale will hn from an average annual rate per individual of £170 17s. 4d. to £158 lis. lid., it is interesting to note that 64 out of 96 or 99 are graduates—bachelors of arts or sciencc, or masters of arts. c university

EXPLANATORY NOTE.-The first column shows the salaries of the various gradcß. The second column shows the number of men fhn the number of women, and tho fourth the total number of men and women teachers earning the salaries of the ■groans shown fS-ti,.. i l , in which they are employed. The fifth column indicates (totals only), where the benefits conferred by the new scale wil fall columns refer to secondary assistants m district high schools. Tho other divisions show in what ranks of the railway or mat services the same salary is paid. The figures relating to the number of teachers and their salaries under the old scale are amra imWv correct; they are based on the last published return (B 1) The minimum salaries under the now scale are taken as operating in the old salary is higher than the new one. " b wxcept wnere

Published by tho authority of the Executive Committee of the New Zealand Educational Institute.

COMPARATIVE TABLE (A),' ADOPTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETINC OF THE NEW ZEALAND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE, REVISED AND . PUBLISHED FOR CENERAL INFORMATION. DISTRICT HIGH . PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS. SCHOOL STATUS OF PUBLIC SERVANTS RECEIVING SIMILAE HAT.Altv, AHl'S. . H % Z — _ Present Scale. . 9 «3 9 Kq S3 kM fttfl |i«I . a K.Z. RAILWAYS. POST' AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT, . a ri 3 O 5 7j 3 a « d d 5 ji S'ShCOS 5 5 "O O O o S K H &H , B H ■ • 0—Under £90... SO GOG 376 146 A— £65-£95 ... ••• 104 414 671 Cadets of ,6th year. Female clerk (class 11). B-£100-£105 ... 8 200 20S SS8 Cleaner, fencer, second porter. Female clerk, letter-carrior (grade 3) or nortor C—£110-£125 ... 10 404 471 239 13 ... Striker, third shunter, junior tradesman. Postmistress (grado 2). D—£130-£135 ... 47 lie 103 544 9 27 Second shunter, first-class horse-driver. Femalo telegraphist (grado 2). E—£140-£155 ... 106 204 3J0 114 36 33 Second painter, storeman, guard, first ganger. ' Letter-carrier, driver, linesman (grade 2) F—£160-£165 12S 123 251 23 4 G Second sailmaker, tinsmith or painter. Letter-carrier (min., grado 1). G—£17tl-£175 ... SI 12 43 279 First sailmakor, engine-man. i Postmistress (max., grado 1) H—£180-43185 ... 225 ill 336 91 14 21 Signal adjuster, mason, clerk (grado 9, max.). Letter-carrier or porter (grailo 1, max.). 1—£i90-£205 ... 43 8 CG 435 2G 7 First carpenter or painter, clork (grado 8, mini. Clerk (class 6, min.). J—£210-£235 ... 213 4 217 65 2 ... Chauffeur, clerks 'grado 8, max.; grade 7, min.). „ (class 6, intermediate). K-£240-£245 71 1 75 139 3 1 Olerk (grade 7). " (class 6, max.). L— : £250-£270 •... 114 3 117 23 ... 1 Clerk (grado 7, max, — grado 6). (class 5, min.). M-£275-£295 ... 59 1 60 75 2 1 Olerk (grade 6). ' (class 5, max.). X—£300-£320 ... 18 ... 13 45 1 ... Clerk (grade 6, max. — grado 5). (class 4, min.). O— £325-£370 ... 43 ... 43 42 1 ... Clerk (grade 5, — grade 4, min.). " (class 3, min.). P—£375-£395 ... 26 ... 26 26 Olerk (Erado 4 to max.). ' (class 3, max.). Q—£400-£450 ... C8 ... 28 23 A first-class clerk receives from £600 to £650. A first-class clerk rises from £550 to £600. Totals 3318 1S87 320 - 3260 CG 96 ,