SALARIES OF TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 214, 4 June 1919, Page 6

SALARIES OF TEACHERS

AND EXPENDITURE ON SCHOOL BUILDINGS. Bγ Telecraph.—Press Association. , Christchurcli, June 3. Replying to-day to a deputation from Canterbury College, who detailed requirements aggregate iEO.OUO, the Hon. J. A. Hamui said the Ministers of Education throughout the British Empire and in the United States of America were considerably handicapped in their efforts to bring about certain reforms owing to the fact that there was no adequate supply of properly trained teachers, more particularly male teachers. Reports U'oni tho countries referred to all stressed the fact Unit this shortage was mainly due to the salaries in the past being inadequate and the piospects before the teacher in his proiessiou not such as to encourage young people to enter the service. The 'fact was that a miserable pittance, comparatively speaking, had been given to the teacher as salary, and that largely accounted for the unfortunte position in which Ministers of Education tound themselves when endeavouring to give effect to such reforms as reduction of the sizo of classes and so forth. Them was now a wave sweeping over the hmpire luid over the progressive parte «t the world which showed that people were beginning to recognise the importance and value of. education, with tho result that considerable atWiou wut> being directed to the question of improving the position of teachers, with the object not only of maintaining the present personnel, but also ot making the touching profession more attractive to promising and intellectual young people. As to thu Canterbury College request, he asked the board to bear in mind that the iunde at his (Mr. Bauan's) disposal were limited, and there were other districts in tho Dominion, anxious to obtain a large share of publio expenditure to meet their educational needs. The many applications that were coming in to him involved such a large expenditure that the education vote, although it had l"«nn. creased of late, particularly for building mirposcs, was not sufficient to meet the increasing wants and requirements brought under his notice.