TEACHERS' SALARIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIX, Issue 14683, 14 May 1908, Page 8

TEACHERS' SALARIES.

THE FALLING TENDENCY. FIXING A RATIONAL MINIMUM. The North Canterbury Education Board yesterday discussed a letter from the School Committees' Association, which expressed dissatisfaction with the method of regulating teachers' salaries on a basis of the average attendance. The Buildings Committee, reporting on the matter, recommended that in order to remove any misunderstanding that might have arisen it should be pointed out that the Board was of opinion that the average attendance should not be the only factor in computing teachers' salaries and that there should be a minimum below which the salary could not fall. Mr D. Buddo, MP.., i'-aid (hat tho falling-off in attendances had been going on for a long rime and the salaries of the teachers were suffering. With a view to having the matter properly considered, he moved that an addition sliould be "made to the existing regulation regarding tho salaries, after the provision that there should be a minimum below which the salary could not fall, that that minimum should be fixed by classification of the schools into grades, a standard salary being fixed by the average attendance and a modified premium being given for any increased attendance. When the attendance in a school fell to the. average of the grade below, the teachers should have preference in applying for a school of that grade. It was, Mr Buddo said, important that something should be done to check tho diminution of wages. The teachers had been so long U6ed to the existing system that they did not notice it, but if it went on much longer they would be left without spirit enougn to protest. There was no reason why a teacher's salary should fall if the worn done was good, simplv because the attendance decreased. The appeal for increased salaries was not so urgent as one for something secure. Mr Buddo quoted the case of two teachers, now out of the service, whose salaries h;..d decreased over several years till they had beon receiving £SO a year less than when they started, and who, being somewhat out of the way, had received little attention when they applied for fresh oositions. \ Mr J. Jamieson said that the matter should go before the Appointments Committee, which should report. It was more its business than that of the Buildings Committee. Mr Rowe suggested that a joint comT.,;tter. should be set up to report in a month,. It was resolved to refer the matter to the Buildings and Appointments Committees jointly, to report at the next meeting.