TEACHERS' SALARIES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 150, 29 June 1929, Page 11

TEACHERS' SALARIES

HEADMASTERS' CLAIMS

SYMPATHETIC HEARING

■A deputation from the Headmasters' Association "of New Zealand: waited on the^Minister of Education (the Hon. H.. Atmore)' to-day to "urge a substantial increase in the maximum salary obtainable in the primary service.

. Mr. F. L. Combs, president of the N.Z.E.1., . who introduced the deputation, said that his association was in hearty accord with the headmasters in their request. ■

The principal point raised by the deputation was th'at l headmasters of primary schools should receive salaries more closely approximating those ■■ received by tho principals of technical and secondary schools. Mr. W. H. Swinbourn, who was the spokesman on behalf of the headmasters, sa,id that under the present salary, scale there was no recognition of the added..- responsibility in the very large schools, where the additional pupils and staff warranted an increase commensurate with the added burden.

"We respectfully urge the following on behalf of our association,", said Mr. Swmbourne. "First, because the senior headmasters have been actually'and relatively underpaid over a long period (the last increase to meet cost of living | was given in 1920), an immediate increase., in.the.salaries.of grades 6 and .7 headmasters, such'increase to be'retrospective to Ist February in acknowledgment of the disabilities they have laboured under during the whole of the post-war period. Our association asks for an increase of £50 in the present maximum. Secondly, some recognition of the extra work,.and responsibility involved in the management of schools of over 600. . An increase of £5 per sub-grade is . asked for as a fair and reasonable amount, . over and above the maximum set forth above. Thirdly, a single'scale of salaries covering all teachers, whether, primary, secondary, or technical, to be brought into" operation in conjunction with the reorganisation'of the educational system. The arresting disparity in.the salaries paid to the heads in the various branches of the teaching servicp is, in our opinion, a matter of great moment. We consider, the calibre of the personnel of the teaching service a matter of paramount importance, and especially the calibre of the men who control the larger ; primary schools. In schools, of grades 6 and 7 are about 85,000 pupils, or 45 per cent, of the total; in schools of grade 4 and upwards, controlled entirely by men, are 125,000 pupils, or about 65 per cent, of the total. In the hands of these men lies the power and . responsibility of moulding the citizens. of the future in their most. plastic period, of guiding and training the members of their staffs -and new entrants to the profession, and of maintaining the general standard of efficiency in the schools; while from their ranks are recruited the members of the inspectorate who in turn do much to determine the educational " ideal. A long and laborious climb up' the ladder of promotion with an ultimate maximum of £585 is not calculated to attract and retain the type of men the primary service needs. We are apprehensive lest the prizes in the service are so meagre as to result in our. most promising young' men using the profession as a stepping-stone' to other more lucrative walks or of avoiding the primary service altogether in view of the more attractive pay in other branches'.. We therefore advocate a unified servieeand a unified salary scale, abased on the principle that no one branch "of- the teaching service can be said to be. on a higher plane, estimated in terms of national service, than any other.'' Replying to the deputation, the Minister said that it would be idle to say that the deputation had not made out a ease. He was not satisfied with the position, and it would have to be' altered.. •Whether the position could be altered .this,year, 'in view of the deficit, he was not,,in.: a position to'say. He .would have!to .consult his'colleagues on this point.; He/agreed, with the complaint made that there.-was undue disparity between ; the salaries' of head teachers of grade 6 and 7 schools and the principals of secondary and technical _ schools. .Ho was glad that the association was in accord with his views in regard to unification of educational control; Unless there was unification they could not have^ a:truly national system of education. ' The present disparity . between the salaries of headmasters of grade 6 and 7 schools, and those of headmasters of technical and secondary schools was an absurdity, and it would be remedied as soon as possible. The Minister pointed out that unification of the. education system was most important. It was an undeserved slur on the primary school.headmasters that such a. disparity existed between their salaries and those of the principals of secondary, and technical schools: and they could rely upon him that the position -wouia be altered as j soon as possible. i