COMPULSORY RETIREMENT OF TEACHERS.

Evening Star, Issue 12767, 21 March 1906, Page 7

COMPULSORY RETIREMENT OF TEACHERS.

SCHOOL COMMITTEES' ASSOCIATION'S VIEWS. A special meeting of the Dunedin and Suburban School Committers' Association was held at the Normal School last night to consider tho question of the compulsory retirement of male teachers who do not join tho Superannuation Fund at the same age as that fixed for those who'do—viz., sixty-five. There was a fair attendance of delegates, and Mr J. H. WilkinBon (president) occupied the chair. The Chairman Baid that somewhat late at the last, quarterly meeting a resolution had been passed approving of tho compulsory retirement of male teachers at the age of sixty-five. The matter was referred to the Executive, who had given it some attention, but who had decided to call a special meeting. Ke went on to say that for many years there was no branch of tho Civil Service in which there was so much unrest, and which proved so unattractive aa the teaching profession. Yonng men of ability left the Bervice of the Education Board because the salaries were inadequate, and the avenues of promotion seemed blocked. • Remedial 6teps taken by the Government were the passing of the Act increasing tho salaries of teachers. Then came the Teachers' Superannuation scheme, the proposals in connection with which had been considered and discussed by a conference of school committees before the Bill was drafted. The teachers recognised the action of school committees in urging the promotion of this scheme, and had expressed regret that the recommendation of the School Committees' Conference in regard to tho "sixtieths" proposal had not been given effect to. Coming to the mat- _ ler at issue, the School Committee' Association felt that the compulsory retirement t>f teachers at sixty-five had been intended In framing the Bill. Unless that provision had been made, they felt that they had labored, in vain, and that that reform would not be brought about 'within the next ten years. _ It was very evident that a different interpretation was put on the Bill in other parts of the colony, which was in harmony with the desire for reform along the Lines he had stated. The Chairman then read the section of the Act dealing with the retirement of those who bad reached the eatuitory age prescribed, and went on to say that it had ben urged by some that they were endeavoring to make compulsory what the Legislature had meant to be optional. He thought that most would agree that at the age of sixtyfive, in most cases, men would not be able to keep up with the gradually rising standard of educational work. 'He deplored that better provision had not been made for those coming on the scheme at a late age, as Would have been the case if 60ths had been the basis instead of 120ths. Compulsory retirement at the age of sixtyfive would very materially contribute to the success of the scheme in the earlier years of its working, as it wonld do away with the personal clement for one thing and obviate friction.—(Applause.) Mr F. G. Cray (Kavensboume), called • on to propose the first resolution, reviewed the march of events which led up to the passing of the Teachers' Superannuation Act. The Association had considered the matter in the interests of teachers and of the children. Pressure had been brought j to bear on the Minister, resulting in the scheme being introduced. Unfortunately it had not altogether the approval of the teachers, some of whom said that they would not join the scheme. When the Legislature passed the Act, he did not think anyone believed that any teachers would stand out. But they had, and now it seemed as if the interests of the teachers alone were to be considered. The Wellington Education Board had taken a stand, and issued a circular to teachers, stating that they would be guided by the principle of the' Act. He" had read an article in Monday's ' Evening Star,' in which it was suggested that the Otago Education Board should issue a circular advising all teachers to make a careful study of the provisione of the Act. He thought this was not necessary, as tho teachers had all studied the scheme, and apparently some of them had decided not to join. As to the advice given in the article not to pursue a timid policy, he thought the Association would be doing the reverse of that' if this resolution were carried. Compulsory retirement was desirable. It would make promotion more easy. That was a better plan than to keep old teachers at work. The remedy needed was to get better retiring allowances provided for by law. It had been urged that the Education Board should have power to deal with individual cases. That was a wrong step. It would open the door to all sorts of influence being utilised, and perhaps to wire-pulling. It should be remembered that teachers' salaries had been cut into on several occasions. They had been pruned in the days of retrenchment, and they were liable to reduction if the attendance of children fell off. The Education Department had moved throughout the, colony in connection with the compulsory retirement of teachers. They had written asking Education Boards what had been done in the matter of compulsory retirement of teachers who refused to join the superannuation scheme. He gathered from good authority that the department would insist on compulsory retirement. He moved—

Thai, in the opinion of this meeting of the Schools Committees' Association the comptdsory retirement of school teachers at the ages provided for in the Teachers' Superannuation Act, 1905, should be put into operation in all cases. That when the proposals for the introdnction of a Teachers' Superannuation BUI were considered by this Association, we were urged by representatives of the Teachers' Institute to use all due influence in the direction of the introduction of the Superannuation Bill, with provision for compulsory retirement, and it was the opinion of this Association and the teachers present at that meeting that such a Bill would be in the join interests of the teachers and scholars in our schools. .Chat the Otago Education Board be immediately urged to adopt such regulations as will, provide for the compulsory retirement of the teachers in their service at the ages provided for in the Act. That copies of the foregoing be forwarded to the Minister of Education and to the secretary of the Otago Education Board. Mr W. Scott (Arthur street) seconded the motion. He said that there never yet had been, a reform which had not pressed on a few, but they had to consider the interests of the many, and primarily the future wellbeing of the scholars. Was it in the best interests of the children that they should be taught, handled,, and disciplined by men who had outlived their usefulness. He thought that ; the teachers were practically unanimously in favor of compulsory retirement at some age. The teachers themselves had had that provision inserted in the Act. The only question that could arise was whether Parliament had made sufficient provision for those who would have to retire on the fund at an early date. It was quite true that a teacher could exercise his own option as to whether he went on the scheme or not, but it was perfectly competent for the' Education Board to retire such a teacher at the age of sixty-five.— (Applause.) Mr C. George (Ravensbourne) said he did not agree with the resolution, but he was £ocnd by hie Committee to vote for it However, he would exercise his right as a representative in speaking against it. (Laughter.) He agreed with the article"in the 'Evening Star' before-mentioned. He did not believe that in these colonies men at the age of sixty-five, especially • those in executive positions, had outlived their usefulness. Their experience, as in the case of Judges; was of the utmost value. The optional clause had been left in the Act and it-was wrong to deprive the minority of-their right to avail themselves of it. Mr T. Smith (Kensington) also opposed the resolution. He said that Mr Crav had expressed approval of the article in "Mon- < ; Star,? but he (the speaker) also approved of, the article, especially where it Baid that ;ifc-;was to be trusted that the Otago Education Board would not follow

the lead of the Wellington Education Board.' As a school committeeman he would not tate to take steps to hare a teacher removed if he were incompetent through age. The Education Board had the remedy in their hands.: Delegates: They won't use it. Mr Smith continued that one reason why the resolution had been moved was bscause of a very glaring case of the nature he had indicated in Dunedin at the present time. If a school was suffering, let its Committee write to the Education Board and have such i a state of things remedied. There were at the time of the last report of the Education Board no fewer than forty uncertificated teachers in Otago in the service of the Board. Yet the meeting wished to aggravate this by dismissing qualified men. Mr Seddon had never intended, he felt convinced, that a man should be forced to retrro ou a paltry pittance of £52 a year. It was never intended by the author of the superannuation scheme or by tho Government to make it compulsorv that a man should retire at sixty-five, or else why had it been made optional? It had been urged that tne Association should support the Education Board. At the next meeting of the Board, when compulsory retirementwould be considered, two members would be absent. Besides, tho Board would soon be out of office. If the Board tried to enforce the compulsory retirement regulation, he believed the latter would be found to be ultra vires. The head-master of a Blenheim school.had taken a case against his Education Board to the Appeal Court and won it, and he believed that if the Otago Education Board dismissed a man for over sixty-five years of age (not for incom" petency), that teacher could take his case to the Appeal Court. Mr J - Hutchison (George street) said that he was also in a minority on the Association's Executive. Mr CraVs resolution would be, if carried, an attempt to read something into the Teachers' Superannuation Act which was not there. An Education Board was not entitled to dismiss a man because ho would not go on the superannuation fund. Neither should the Board shelter themselves behind the Act mentioned because they had not the courage to dismiss a teacher for incompetence. No effort should be made to coerce teachers to take a step which they did not wish to. Mr C. J. Thorn (Caversham) opposed the resolution. He quoted a case in which compulsory retirement Would inflict a. hardship and said that it would be unfair for the Association to take a step which would entail hardship even in one case. ?£. Sli ?° f- ,lrthllr str eet) said he did not like the idea of compelling a man to retire at the ago of sixty-five, when he have many years of useful work in front of iiun. He would have had no objection to retirement being optional at sixty-five and compulsory at seventy. He would oppose the resolution. Mr M. Cohen said that he fully agreed with tho view taken by Mr Hutchison. Tnoso who supported the resolution had no., stated in its entirety the purport of tho conferences between the representatives ot too Teachers* Institute and the special Committee set up by the Association to cleat with this question of superannuation. Tt ww quite truo t . hat U]e joint confcronce had affirmed the principle of compulsorv retirement for male teachers at sixty-five years, but it was conditional on the recognition of back service and of payment IT^ C h £ " with a maximum of £l2O. He had been in Wellington when this question of back service was dealt with, and had striven his best, but unavailifigly, to obtain a minimum of £7B, which after all was a poor recognition of long and faithful service, compared with the retiring allowances granted under the Police and Railway Superannuation schemes. The Legislature, in its wisdom, had declared that back pay should be counted by 120ths arid gave, a maximum of £62; but there could be no gainsaying the fact that in fio deculmg Parliament had decreed that teachers now in the service should have the. option of taking that pittance and retiring on it, or continuing to servo till the boards determined that thev were bevond rendering efficient service." During" his term on the Education Board of Ctago 'no had had to deal with a number of cases that would h.ive involved retirement of the individuals if there had been in existence a decent scheme of superannuation, for it was beyond question that for tho good of the individuals concerned, and certainly for tho good of the children whom they were supposed to teach, those teachers should have been relieved of their positions. But no Board had the heart—certainly he, as an individual member of the Board, refused to accept the responsibility—to turn adrift a number of men and women who had grown grey in the service of the public for the simple reason that they had reached an ago limit, well knowing that they had not been able, from stress of circumstances, to make adequate provision for their old age. Had tho Legislature even given such men £7B a year, though if the scheme had been properly framed be saw no insuperable difficulty in providing a maximum of £l2O, the aspect of the position would have been changed. He had in his mind's eye men still in the service of the Otago Board who, though beyond sixty-five years, were teaching as efficiently us ever, and whose ripened experience and organising powers ought surely to count for something. Such men would be hard to leplace, and would he a distinct lors to the profession of which they were distinguished ornaments. They cculd go on teaching for many years. On the other hand, there were undeniably men in the service—not many, certainly—whose efficiency was on the downward grade, and whose grip of educative methods was visibly slackening. Such cases ought to be dealt with promptly and effectively by the boards at the instigation of the comnuttees concerned, who know tho actual state of affairs, and should have the courage to put their house in proper order. It might be well, although he doubted if anything would come of it, to press on the Government and Legislature the necessity for rraking equitable provision for remunerating back service. The true solution, however, lay m a comprehensive Civil Service superannuation scheme, under which the State teacher would share on equal terms with every branch of tho Public Service in whatever provision the colony made for the retirement of its aged arid infirm servants.

Further discussion took place, during which Mr .Campbell (North-east Valley) opposed the motion, while Mr Ford (Mornington) supported it, but his colleague (Mr Sawell) opposed it. Mr Scott said that it was evident that most of the speakers were evidently against the compulsory retirement on the' present retiring allowance, but not necessarily against the principle of compulsory retirement. If the resolution were negatived the public might glean a wrong impression. He suggested that the resolution should be withdrawn and the Association make no recommendation. Mr Cray, in replying, said that he would prefer to see the motion put, even if it were lost. Mr G. Israel said that it was undesirable to interfere with the discipline of a school. He would like to move an amendment to the effect that in the matter of retiring allowances under the superannuation scheme the Association had no recommendation to make. This amendment was not put, and it was again suggested that Mr Cray should withdraw his motion. The Chairman put it to the meeting whether the resolution could be withdrawn, and as there was not a unanimous vote in favor of this, the motion was put, and lost by 13 votes to 8. 'Mr Scott said that notwithstanding the loss of the motion he would move—"That this meeting of the Dunedin and Suburban School Committees' Association ia of the opinion that united action should be taken by the Education Boards and School Committees to increase the annuity provided for teachers for back service to a'rate of l-60th part of the total salary paid during all the year 3 of service, with a maximum of £l3O. -And, further, that this Association pledge themselves to assist in having legislation passed which will secure the foregoing annuity." This motion was carried unanimously, and the business ended.