TEACHERS' SALARIES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 339, 28 October 1908, Page 7

TEACHERS' SALARIES.

THE MENACED MINIMUMGROWING INDIGNATION. SOME INTERESTING "IMPRESSIONS." The members of the teaching profession if Wellington, and by this time, no doubt, else* where, have now thoroughly grasped the significance of the statement by the Minister for Education (Hon. G. Foivlds), that' thosa teachers whose present salaries aro below tho minimum rate fixed for their positions in'the now schedulo of salaries, which comes into operation on January 1, will not automatically rise to that minimum, but roach it, by succossivo annual increments, and the indignation of the profession is spreading, and growing in intensity. Tho prevailing statement among the teachers appears to be that the text of Clause 7 and its provisional subclauses could only be interpreted to mean an automatic rise to tho new minimum, and that this impression even obtained among members of tho House is clear from the following statements made to our representative yesterday. "Room for Quibble." "In my opinion," said Mr. T. M. Wilford, complying with the request for a statement on the matter, "the effect of the clauso is to allow the Department to quibble. Tho inten-. tiou of the Act required that' the minimum salary should bo automatically granted. ,If the teachers desire to know where they stand, let them ask a Supreme Court' Judge for a finding under the Declaratory Judgments Act, 1908. It will cost them only a few shillings, and they will bo able to argue their case." What the House Expected. Tho following letter has been addressed to tho secretary of tho New Zealand Educational Institute by Mr. J. G. W. Aitken: — "I certainly understood, from the Minister's second reading speech, that the. increase in salaries to the minimum was to ta.ko place as from January 1 next. In support of this, I would quote from the speech of the Minister the following:—'The present salaries of teachers in our schools compare not unfavourably with the salaries paid in. other English-speaking communities. . ■ . . In all schools above Grade 0 in this Bill, tlio salaries of the; present teachers wilLbe raised to an average of £160 16s. 6d., lvliich is an increase of £11 12s. ,10d.' - You will ' thus see that the language of the Minister is not such as to lead anyone to believe that the increase to the minimum was to be a gradual increase, otherwise he would have said that the salaries of tho present teachers would? ultimately bo raised to an average of £160 16s. sd,

"Tho speeches of all the members whe • spoke on the subject, as I listened to them, 'certainly convoyed the belief _ that they understood that the rise to tho minimum was to be an immediate rise. I' am satisfied in my own mind that if it had not been so, so many expressions of approval would not > have been heard. I am'clearly in the belief that the House, as a whole, expected the rise | to tho minimum fo take place as soon, as 1 tho Amended Act came into force. 1 '"I have not .heard from Mr. Massey, but l i I see that ho was atFoikling last night, and mentioned this subject there; ho said that tho interpretation that the Minister now puts upon the matter was not thought of in tho House. You may make such use as you please of what I.hayo said—(Signed) John G. W. Aitken." - i. Mr. F. .11. B. Fisher said, in reply to a question by our representative, that liis own impression at the time, and, he believed, of ■ every member, in the. House, was that every teacher whoso present salary was below the minimum specified for his position under the new scalo". would bo raised to tho minimum immediately upon the coming into operation of the Act. ' The Ministerial Point of View. The Minister yestcrday"'mWe the fallowing statement on the position To' pay £5 • increase.to all present teachers will cost £10,000 or £17,000, in addition to the cost of increased' staff. Tho present teacher's will ; be increasing continuously until they reach tho maximum for their grades; It'would hava been more anomalous to give some teacherß £fi, others £10, others £20, or £30, than to givo £5 all round. Now appointments aro open for competition, and the improved valuo of the positions in certain cases-of new appointments (as of first assistants in largo schools) will be a factor in determining candidates to'apply and boards to appoint. The additional cost, and the otherwise unequal treatment pointed out -above, seera sufficient reasons for the course adopted. The meaning of the Act was duly explained in the evidenca given by the Inspector-General of Schools before the Parliamentary Education, Committee." "Rather a weak explanation," remarked the Secretary of the New Zealand Educations.' ■Institute (Mr. W. Foster), when asked for ■ this .opinion on tho above. "I don't see where ■ ;the anomaly comes in. If a teacher's present salary, is £20 below the minimum for' his position, in tho new scale, and that minimum represents tho Minister's estimate of tho lowest figure of remuneration adequate for tho position, then a salary; of £20 less is inadequate, as tho Minister will surely admit. And if 'it is inadequate there can ba no anomaly in raising it to the minimum. It is suggested that new, appointments and' transfers will get over much of tho difficulty. But you cannot create vacancies." Tho Inspector-Gsneral's Statements. A careful scrutiny of the minutes of evidence of tho'Education Cominitteo appointed last session to deal with education questions generally, fails to reveal anything in the nature of a statement by tho lnspector- ■ General of Schools as to tho .intention of the Government hot to.raise to the minimum ■in buo increaso. The evidence is quits the other way, in fact. " "Taking, for example, a school of twelve pupils," said the chairman of the committee to tho Inspcctor-Gcneral (Mr. G. Hogben), who was giving evidence, "tho teacher received £72, with £10 house allowance, making it £82 per annum?"—" Yes." " Under the new schedule tho teacher of this school will get a salary of £90, increasing by £5 per annum to £120, with house allowance of £10. That' is a distinct advantage?"—"l think so." (According, to tho Minister's statement this teacher will only receive £87 per annum.) "In a school of 132, what was tho salary?"—"£23s." "And the house allowance?"—"£3o." "Under'the now rat-e teachers will receive from £240 _to £270, with a houso allowance of £35?"—" Yes." ; (The difference here, taking the minimum. 240, plus £35,- is £10. But that £10 increase to tho minimum will be, according to the Minister, spread over two years'). Following the circulation of the Education ' Bill, in July last, the Minister thus prophesied to an interviewer"The-more liberalstaffing of schools which is now proposed .should have a tendency to generally improve our educational system. The lowest salary now paid is £00, rising to £120, with an additional £10 house allowance. < This does not apply to those teachers who have loss than eight pupils, and aro receiving a capitation allowance of £0 per head. But those on fixed salaries are not receiving less than £90, and they receive gradual increases up to £120." ' Powers of the Boards. "We propose," remarks the Puncdm "Star," in what appears to bo an inspired article, '."looking into the scale to ascertain in what way it affects assistant teachers, and if we' find tbo anomalies warrant us doing so, wo shall devote another article to this : special phase of tho question. It must not 'be forgotten that boards liavo in.their own hands the power to remedy any injustice, for they may givo any teacher notice of dismissal and reappoint him; or they may transfer a teacher, thus entitling him to tho increased salary. If we are not mistaken, tho teachers under tho Marlborough Education Board aro appointed from year to year, a.nd at tho beginning of January next the whole of them will como under the new- scale. Education boards will do well to look carefully into tho whole matter." [Note.—Tho Teachora' Institute has been advised that the Marlborough Hoard's- system is bad in law.]