SALARIES OF TEACHERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 August 1929, Page 8

SALARIES OF TEACHERS

REQUEST MADE* FOR INCREASE Holding the view that recent readjustments of teachers’ salaries have favoured the lower grades of headmasters and assistants, the New Zealand Headmasters’ Association has approached the Education Department suggesting that any new scale should give more consideration to the higher grades. In a statement issued, the association presents its case and compares the salaries paid to. the highergraded teachers in the primary and secondary schools. Typical examples of the amounts paid to headmasters of schools having--40, 82 and 751 pupils respectively are given. This shows that the lowest grade of headmaster, within reach of a teacher having only 10 years’ service, may receive 70 per cent, of the salary paid to those in the highest grades, which are reached after 25 to 30 years’ service. Comparison of the salaries paid to assistants and headmasters shows that a first assistant at a large school may receive 75 per cent, of the headmaster’s salary, an infant mistress 64 per cent., and a woman assistant 60 per cent. In a summary of the figures, it is stated that since 1914 salaries of the lower ranks of assistants have increased 106 per cent, of grade 3 head teachers 47 per cent., and of grade 7 headmasters 26 pel’ cent.

It is stated that present senior headmasters, who have been granted a 26 per cent, increase in pay to meet a 60 per cent, increase in the cost of living, are entitled to further immediate relief. It is maintained that the duties and responsibilities of the headmaster of a large prijnary school are no less

important or onerous that those of the principal of a secondary or technical school, nor is a lower standard of effi ciency required. Yet the respective salaries are out of all proportion to the national service rendered. Comparing the salaries paid, the statement points out that for a school of about 40 pupils the maximum salaries for secondary, technical and primary are £6BO, £540 and £395 respectively. Other schools of various sizes are compared, the stated salaries for a school of 800 pupils being £920, £920 and £585 respectively. It is pointed out that the master of a secondary school having 340 pupils receives more than the principal of a teachers’ training college, whose salary is £750. The following anomalous case is given—“ The district high schools are in charge of primary headmasters. A headmaster df a school of this type, with an average of 400 in primary and 100 (average roll) in the secondary department, receives a maximum salary of £545 —£80 for-being in charge of the high school department. When the secondary department is established as a separate high school and placed in charge of a secondary headmaster the latter is given an extra assistant., and a salary of £6BO, an advance of £55 on what the primary headmaster received for carrying on the work and responsibility of both schools.” The association requests an imme-

diate increase in the salaries of grade 6 and grade 7 headmasters, to be retrospective from Ist February, and 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.