TEACHERS' SALARIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 68, 13 December 1917, Page 6

TEACHERS' SALARIES

GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE. Once more the unsatisfactory seala of pay offered to teachers, particularly; in the lower grades, was referred to at the meeting of the Education Boardi yesterday. Tho subject was raised bj a rather strongly-phrased resolution, passed by the Petonc District Higls School Committee, in which the low; scale of pay to pupil teachers and pro. bationers.- was roundly condemned. Mr. E. P. Rishworth moved that ths resolution be forwarded to the Educa* tion Department and the .Minister, and that the assistance of bo asked in tho matter. He said that; the board was not getting the sort of! pupil teachers and probationers it should get. The scale of pay was so lowthat lively, intellectual young peopla were now seeking better fields of work* Ho mentioned tho caso of 0110 bank in Wellington where there were five exteachers and pupil teachers working side by side receiving salaries of £120 a year and upwards, considerably mora than tliey would bo receiving ill tho service at the present time. Mr. London seconded the motion. Mr. Forsyth said that in 110 trade oe business would tho wages paid to teachers be'tolerated. The average pay of the first four years was 15s. or IBs. ai week. Everybody knew that in commerce this wage had to be paid to young people at the very beginning. He mentioned a case of a teacher who had left the employment of the to become a clerk in. the Education Department. This man had received at) a clerk just double what he had w ceived as a teacher. Mr. 11. A. Wright supported tho motion, but ho,pointed out that tho field of employment outside of the profession had been so widened by tho war conditions that more teachers vera being lost now than would be lost in. normal times. .... Mr. R. M'Callum said he did 11rh think any good would lie achieved 1 ■ going to the Department. The 0(. ernmont as a whole was responsib for tho starvation of education at pp • sent, and tho board should address tl>. Government as a whole.The motion was agreed to.