TEACHERS' SALARIES

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 91, 14 October 1920, Page 4

TEACHERS' SALARIES

ALL ROUND INCREASES

MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

COMPARISON WITH OTHER

COUNTRIES.

The expected increases to teachers' salaries were announced by the Minister of Education (the Hon. £. J. Parr) in the House of Representatives yesterday. Over 7000^ teachers are concerned.

Mr. Parr said that, in distributing the quarter of a million involved, he had given special consideration to the future of the profession as well as to the present necessities. His main object had been to .make the teaching profession more attractive to young people. He had given consideration to the interests of the country child. Over 30 per cent., of the children were being taught in country schools largely staffed by uncertificated teachers. He desired to remedy this evil and by better pay he hoped to induce the able assistant to go to the country. The Department would Increase the capitation to the backblock schools to £lb per head per annum. The salaries of schools of Grades 1., 11. and 111. (average attendancs ranging from 9 to 120) had been materially increased. These increases ranged from £70 to a maximum of £120 for the last two'years. The result should be that no teacher could reasonabty refuse, hereafter, to ,take a country school. The salaries of infant mistresses and senior women assistants in larger schools had also been ..raised a grade. This was in addition to the ordinary increases. In this way special recognition, -rs being accorded to the excellent w of some of the splendid women teacups in. the Service. Native school teachers would receive the same increments as primary school teachers.

, A special allowance of £10, in addition to the ordinary increment, would be aclded to the house and married allowances, as some recognition of the responsibilities of the family man. Licensed teachers would receive a flat-rate increase of £30.' Uncertificated teachers, of whom there was a large numbei, would receive an increase of £20, subject, however, to a\provision that next year, when the inspectors shall have been able to mako a broad classification separating the most efficient.from the others, this scale would be modified in favour of a somewhat higher payment to the more efficient. This class varied very greatly in efficiency Many'had little more thai? a Sixtb Standard attainment. Owing to the dearth of trained teachers some uncertificated men and women were already enjoying positions beyond their deserts. There were as well, howevei, some really capable and useful teachers' who,did not hold a- certificate. There was at present no classification of these people, but the inspectors would be asked to differentiate between the most efficient and the others and the Deoartment, would then be able to give to the best, of the group a somewhat higher reward than the proposed flat-rate.

; ENTRANTS TO THE PROFESSION,

"Under "the new scale all pupil teachers and probationers \yill serve for two years as such and then undergo two yeare' training at the Training College," said the Minister. In their fifth year, they may take up permanent positions as assistants or sole teachers of small schools. Table "A" given below shows, in contrast with the Public Service, the prospects of young teachers, which can readily be realised in spite of the fact that the attainment of a salary of £330 per annum may require for some a. promotion - from one position to another. The number of second or third-grade positions held by uncertificated teachers is a.t present so large that promotion, for young certificated teachers can be guaranteed. TABLE "A." ! MALE ENTRANTS TO THE TEACH-! ING PROFESSION. Teachers. Public,, Service. Year. Home Board- Home Boarding ing £ £ £ £ '1. .. 95 125 85 ■ 125 2. 100 130 100 130 *3. 105 135 115 135 *4. 105 135 140 140 'With University Fees. , 5. lik) Town Assistant 200 Country Assistant 160 220 Sole Teacher 6. 200 or 220 or ■ 215 ,210 7. 230 or P3O 250 ; 8. 240 or 250 280 country - 9. . 290 280 10.' •-■ 310 290 NOTE.—In the first four years only, girh receive £5 les6. The effect is that pupil teachers and probationers are now being offered on an average an increase of £30 per annum. "It will be seen from the above that for the first four years male entrants to the teaching profession receive at least the same salary as cadets in the Public Service. Girls receive only £5 less, but appointment to the Public Service is practically closed to girls, and an .initial salary of £2 5s pel- week, which we now offer for : girls of sixteen or seventeen years of age, would not be easily obtainable in' any other occupation. In their fifth year both men and wqmen ex-students ma-y receive a minimum salary of £180 per annum, but they may commence at £200, or even £230, if they are prepared to take a position in the country, whereas for the fifth year the Public Service offers £NjO only. The Publiu Service scale shows that after entering the Public Service as a cadet, a young man at the end of eleven years will receive £290 per annum, but a young teacher, either male or female, could without difficulty reach a salary of £330 at the same age. "Turning from comparison with the Public Service scale, it must be pointed out that in no country in the world do the allowances paid to entrants to the teaching profession during their period of training even approach the scale now framed for New Zealand. Ip fact, in •most English-speaking countries entrants to the teaching profession have to pay their own way until they aj-e certificated and qualified teachers. Where allowances are paid, they are sometimes given by way of competitive scholarships or by way of small allowances towards the cofst of living. With regard to this section, therefore, it can unhesitatingly be (stated that New Zealand easily leads the world. SALARIES OF ASSISTANTS. "As previously stated, the minimum salary for an assistant teacher will now be £180 for even tfio less efficient teachers. Those with better qualifications can commence at £190 even in the lowest grade. By taking one of the numerous vacant positions now offering in mediumBized country schools, the young assistant may commence at £220, and proceed to £270 without, promotion, or may take charge of ;i small school at a minimum salary of £230 and proceed without promotion to ifiSOO. Promotions from any of these, positions to others with a higher maximum can readily bo obtained by any certificated teacher of average efficiency. The salaries of all graded of HssMtsnt teachers have been incmttrl during the past two years by fr«n £90

to £120, and under the new scale, the rang£ of salary for assistants will be from a minimum of £180 to a maximum, of £450, In view of criticisms recently made, a table (Table "B") is herewith given, showing how the salaries of assistants compare with those in other countries. It should be explained that the salaries given for New South Wales are those for 1919. Since then the Government has granted an additional £450,----000, but, as this has to be divided among over 8000 teachers, the average increase would be about £50, and the probable effect of this addition has been shown in the' table as. the salary for 1920. • . . Tho new scale for New Zealand, as shown in the several tables below, easily surpasses the much vaunted Burnham I scale. The highest scales in, England are those just approved for Birmingham and London respectively. In some respects these are better than the new scale for New Zealand, but it must be remembered that these scales are for two large, closely-settled areas where there i are few small schools, and scarcely any of the type of the New Zealand country school. Comparison under these conditions is scarcely fair to New Zealand. j ' TABLE "B." ! ASSISTANT TEACHERS. Total Salary with New Efficiency .< Grade. , Schedule. Increments. ; £ £ 1 160-170 180-230 2.- 180-190 or 200-250 or 200-210 ■ 220-270 3 , 200-230 220-290 4. 240-270 260-330 5 280-500 300-360 6 310-320 330-380 7 330-350 , 350-410 " Married teachers receive £40 additional. The salaries of-infant mistresses and senior women assistants in the larger schools have been raised a grade. The above scale represents an increase in all grades of from.£9o to £120 in two years. "Comparisons.—New South Wales, 1919, minimum £132, maximum £336; .New South Wales, 1920 (appro*.), £182-£336; England (Burnham), men £150-JB3OO, women £140-£240; Birmingham, men £190-£430, women £160-'£34S; London, men £200-£425, women £187 lOs-iE&iO;-New Zealand, least efficient £130, average efficiency £200-£430, most efikient £230-£450. "The New Zealand.scale for assistants is superior to any other known scale, HEAD TEACHERS. "The salaries for sole and head teachers under the ne* scale in New Zealand are shown in Table C. The increases to these salaries during the past - two years alone range from £100 to £120. It will be seen that the maximum salary, for. a. school with over 480 pupils is £600, but if a district high school is attached an additional allowance of or £50. will be paid, making the total £650. Some critics have lead the public to believe that a headmaster's salary is the highest a teacher"can reach, but itwas not stated that there are about fifty inspectorships' with salaries ranging up to £700 per annum, and that all of these positions are filled from the ranks of the teaching profession. Further, there are other positions, of a higher value in secondary schools to which qualified teachers may aspire. In addition to these, there are the senior professional positions in the head office of the Education Department, now to range up to £1250 per annum, all of which positions :,are at present filled'by ex-teachers." J TABLE "C." NEW SCALE—NEW ZEALAND SOLE AND HEAD-TEACHERS. Grade. Attendance. Range of Salary. 0 .1-2 £15 per head £ 1 9-20 , 230-300 11. 21-35 280-370 111. A 36-80 330-420 111.8 81-120 360-440 IV 121-240 +40-470 V ' 241-400 450-530 VI 401-480 500-560 VII. 481-900, ■ 530-600 Head-teachers of District High Schools receive £30 or £50 additional. The above range includes all allowances OPINIONS ON THE NEW SCALE. "The new scale has been submitted to the consideration of the Executive of the New Zealand Educational Institute, and ?■ generous approval has been given to the efforts of the Government and of the Department, mad© in the interests of teachers, and of the nature of the scale drawn up. The chairman and the secretary of the Association of Education Boards have also discussed the new scale with me, and made a number of suggestions. It was, found, however, thai all of these, except one, were already provided for in the Department's schema It is gratifying to find that these representative bodies found practically nothing to take exception to ml the new scale, and it is hoped that it will have the effect of largely increasin gthe number of entrants to the teaching profession, and of providing a brighter outlook for, those who take up teaching as their life work.

"A new scale for the salaries of technical and secondary school teachers has been completed, ; but this cannot be brought into operation until the Amendment Act now undier the consideration of the Government has the approval of Parliament." ' x