TEACHERS' RIGHTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25, 29 July 1911, Page 9

TEACHERS' RIGHTS.

WORK AHEAD OF THE INSTITUTE

SUPERANNUATION, TRANSFER, AND PROMOTION. APPEAL FOR THE ISOLATED MEMBER. In his presidential address before the annual meeting of the Wellington branch of tho New Zealand Educational Institute, Mr. Flux dealt interestingly with several important matters that concern the future welfare of teachers. "In order to bring home to the teachers *in the outlying parts of this education district," Mr. Flux began, "the benefits of belonging to the institute, we need to do some missionary work, though in what way as not apparent. Although a. large majority of teacheTS are members of the institutethat is, they pay their subscriptions— they are only nominal members. If they meet it is only by accident. There is little or ik> community of interest in their profession, this leading to stagnation and narrowness. I am quite well aware that I am laying myself open to the charge of mine being comparatively new-uom zeal. I plead guilty. I am, or, shall I say, was, like a. good many teachers who are nominal members of the institute to-da.y, not altogether selfish, bat simply indifferent, largely because of ignorance of what the institute means and what its aims and aspirations are. I came , out to this country tw&nty-eeven years ago with a prejudice against teachers' unions. In the Old Country I was sick of the .eternal cry of the > "status of the teacher, and, not without som« reason, I think, had come to the conclusion that unions are grievance-mongers, and, ac sucli, were to be spurned." "GET DOWN TO WORK." The speaker 'added that he carried t ihw prejudice with him for many years, until a missionary induced him to take a share of the work of the ■ institute. He would therefore advise those members who were indifferent to get down U> some work for it. Ths interest which would result, h© beheved, would be in exact proportion to the amount of "capital put into it in tho shape of work. But there were members who, by reason of isolation from largo centres, had few chalices of meeting ono another, and 60 loet the benefits of intercourse such a<3 the larger centres enjoyed. Could not something be- done to bring these together for mutual help? Could there not be more Giib-branches? The only sub-branch at present is that in the Wairarapa, a.nd yet there was all that part of the district from Paekakariki to Foxton without any provision for bringing them together. Some knew the apathy which was induced by isolation. He would aek again, Could not something be done for mt-mbers in outlying districts? "I do not mean," said Mr. Flux, " in material directions alofte, but in that indefinable something which makes us feel members of the one body. In one word — Sympathy." MUCH DONE.— MUCH TO DO. Much has been done by tho institute in the past to ma'kc the lot of the teacher more beatable, and to render his work more productive of good to the community, but incessant watchfulness ia necessary. Ho lung a* theie is a teaching pretension, so long will thero be work for the institute to do. Among tho work before the institute at the pre«mt time are the following itenus : — (1) In the calculation of the superannuation allowance the Art provides that the avcraßi? for ihe last three years of service is i-aken. Nov,'; in quite a majority of casti thre wa& quite & ia.it method, but in a considerable- number it is not so. In the case cf a teacher, whose time for retiring was approaching, but whewe attendance, through tto fault of his own, is rapidly declining, this method of calculation use grossly unfair. The alternatives were to take either tho average of tho befit throe years of ceivio as h the case in the Civil Service, or the average of the whole of the years <J service. ' Personally, the speaker inclined to the average of the best three years. QUESTION OF TRANSFER. (2) Bringing of the question of *'t ransfer" under the Teachers' .Appeal Court. Unlew; this was dor.c the boasted "security of tenure," for which the in&titute so strenuously fought in the past, -l goes by the board.'' At present there was nothing to prevent a board traiibfemng a teacher without teachers' consent, to sn equal position,' or to even a lower position. "None of us can leasonably object to a transfer in cases of miecon- j duct. The Act provides for such trana- J fers. Tho institute fought for the principle of transferring in Cases where a teacher was suffering or likely to suffer on account of a decline in average attendance, but it feels that thero is a ] real danger ahead, unless ihe proviso j mentioned before is added to tile Act. j It was true that so far the majority of the boards have so far acted fairly and j generously in the matter of transfers, but there is the danger, and it were better that it should be attended to before it I becomes many-headed. ! ! DEGRADING SYSTEM OF WIREPULLING. (3) Promotion scheme applicable to the whole of the Dominion. There was, said Mr. Flux, a great diversity of opinion, even among teachers, as to the desirability of micl^ a_ scheme. So long as teachers wero divided in opinion, so long, they might be sure, will the public be. They will all gladly welcome a system which Would xvipe out, once and for all, the degrading system of wire-pulling which was now forced on teachers. Even when teachers themselves had decided in favour of a Dominion promotion scheme, the position would be by no means won. " Education boards,' 1 added the speaker. " will fancy it is an attack on their privileges, and will probably put obstacles in the way.'' ' PETITION TO PARLIAMENT. "There are in the Dominion a number of teachers who, for financial reasons, wove unable to avail themselves of the provisions of tho Ktip&vannnation Act when it came into forco in 1906. A petition is being forwarded to both Houses of Parliament, signed by such tcachoi>3. praying that they may be allowed to como under the Act, provided they pay all back subscriptions. w*tb <i per cent, interest added. We all hope th<a prayer may be successful."