PAY FOR TEACHERS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 128, 4 June 1929, Page 10

PAY FOR TEACHERS

A NEW SCALE

EFFICIENCY THE TEST

NO INCREASE IN COST

Thevteaehers of New Zealand at present have before them a new scale of salaries, suggested by the Education Department as a substitute for- the existing/scale. ..--• It is no secret that the teachers have teen dissatisfied with the present scale for a very considerable time, and the New Zealand Educational Institute has lost no opportunity of impressing upon, the Department the- desirability of a change. As far as has "been possible, the Department has based its new scheme on the. principle-of payment according to efficiency, althoiigh it is understood care has been exercised to ensure that the adoption of the scheme will not materially increase the Education Bill. Under the new scheme it is proposed to divide assistant teachers into four classes—fourth (fair), :. third (very fair), second (good), first (very good to excellent). Fourth class teachers ■will commence at a salary of £.180 for males and £170 for females, and will have an opportunity of rising in their class to £255 and £220. In the third class the minimum salaries are £270 and 4! 230, and the maximum £330 and £270. The minimum salaries in the second class will be £345 and £280, and the maximum £405 and £320. The first-class minimum rates are £420 and £320,,; and the maximum rates £480 and £370; with the addition of £20 and £30 for infant mistresses of grade 4 and grade 5 schools. For sole teachers and head teachers there are five grades—(l) for schools of from 9 to 24 pupils; (2) for schools from 25 to 80; (3) for. schools of from BlUo 280; (4) for schools of-from 281 to 480; (5) • for schools of from 481 onwards. The salaries proposed are as follows (those for female teachers being given in parentheses in each' instance): (1), from £220 (£20.0) to £320 (£290); (2), £340 (£308), to £420 (£380); (3) £435 (£392), to £495 (£440); (4), £510 (£452),: to £570 (£500): (5Y £585 (—]>, to £615 (—). MARRIAGE RESPONSIBILITIES. The salaries of male and female teachers have, been differentiated, the married allowance or house allowance having been absorbed, though differently distributed, in the salaries, of the male teachers. In the higher years of I service where in general a man's responsibilities: have increased, the: difference is more marked than, in the earlier.years. '" ' It is; proposed that every teacher securing, a- university degree or a higher certificate than class C shall be entitled, to a double increment' in salary from, the beginning of the year in which he was. awarded the higher qualification. No teacher will be entitled automatically to an annual increment, but will require a recommendation from the inspectors. The question of whether there should be right of appeal against the withholding of an efficiency increment will be considered by the Department. -Under,' the scheme it would -be possible for an > assistant teacher of good ability to reach themaximum {salary, without leaving the school in which he was first placed, but at the same time he would be liable to be transferred, elsewhere, as the. De-partment-considers that power to transfer assistant teachers from one school to another is an essential feature of the scheme. :

. In the event of the new scale being adopted,'.the Department points out, no teacher would receive a less rate of salary than he, or,she had beens receiving up to" the time \6J- the adoption of the new scheme. On the other hand, no teacher would be entitled to advance to the present maximum of his particular grade, . In other words, ho teacher would proceed to a salary in excess of the maximum allowed under the new scale. Teachers who would, according to the new. scale, be receiving overscale salaries, would not be reduced, but on the other hand would have to mark time- until the new scale overtook .their salary; as existing at the time the change was made. By this means there would be.a'gradual transition from the old system to the new. The transition from the old to the new scale would- involve a certain amount of additional expense as it would be necessary, to carry over a certain number of teachers at a higher maximum salary than that provided for in the new scale.. ; TOWN AND COUNTRY. The Department states that the effect of the proposed scale- on the strength of staff in town and country schools respectively may perhaps cause some concern. Undoubtedly there would tend to be a movement of the more experienced teachers towards • town positions, but such' '■ movement ■would be controlled, and it should not be difficult to secure an effective distribution of the teaching staff, it is stated. . All assistant teachers could, for example, be required in rotation to hold positions in the country-for a de,finite period, but - as the number of town positions last year was 2236 as] compared with 1189 country positions, | it is evident that a certain number of teachers of long experience would have to- be allowed to remain in town positions. 1, As the country positions dif-. . fer very greatly in attractiveness it may be necessary to continue paying remote allowance to compensate teachers for-the discomforts they experience in very remote, parts of the country. This allowance would not, except in special cases, be carried forward by the teacher intb the town positions, but there, might be cases where, on account of special excellence of work done, in remote districts, the teachers should be rewarded by being allowed to retain the remote allowance until, at all eyents, such time as the scale overtook the total salary reecived in the country position.

The Department has made it plain that it has no desire to force the new scale upon the teachers, but is merely anxious to have an expression of opinion upon it. Unless the scheme meets ■with enthusiastic support; there is little- .chance of its being adopted.