EDUCATION

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 4593, 20 May 1922, Page 4

EDUCATION

SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS THEIR IMPROVED POSITION. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, May 18. The Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education, addressing the Secondary Schools Conference to-day, ■said he was glad to have this opportunity of congratulating the secondary school teachers of New Zealand upen the improvements made in their conditions during the past two years. Soon after taking office as Minister, he recognised that secondary teachers were hardly dealt with. Considering the importance of their work, pay and conditions were, in hi-; opinion, inadequate. The Government had succeeded in passing legislation which now provided for a Dominion service. Formerly there was no classification of secondary teachers, and no uniformity with regard to their salaries. Teachers were under some 30 different boards. In some instances he thought Boards had acted fairly, whilst in other cases he hardly thought such was the case. He had noticed two teachers under different Boards, but doing the same work, received in salary a, difference of a considerable amount. He felt it to be his duty to try to put such a state of things right by means of classification and a uniform rate of pay. “The result has been, I believe,” lie added, “a substantial increase in emolument.” 110 did not say the classification system was perfect, and added, “But I think I can claim your agreement with me that conditions are now much bettor than they were.”

BRIDGING THE GAP. Secondary Schools’ Conference, Air Parr gave high praise to tlie teachers of secondary schools, congratulating them on the fino spirit inculcated into tho pupils. • He spoke of the efforts made to bridge tho gap between elementary and secondary schools. He | thought wo did not experiment i enough. He thought it might be better if they established a separate school. The Alinister expressed tlie opinion that secondary education was not so far advanced in New Zealand as in England. Regarding this point Air F. H. Campbell (Dunedin) thought data should be sullied. There was just as good material in New Zealand. If the Minister’s statement was true, there must be something wrong in our system of education. It was a serious statement to make. Air F. Alilncr said the whole matter would be gone into when the subject of. punior high schools was considered. Air T. R. Creswell (Wellington president) said teachers were fully aware of the desirability of experimenting, but it was difficult to do so when reconstruction was taking place. Air Teblis (Auckland) congratulated- the Alinister on tlie improvements made.