SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9589, 5 September 1913, Page 6

SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS.

SOME INTERESTING DISCUSSIONS.

(Pee Press association.) WELLINGTON. Sept. 4. The annual conference of the Secondary School Assistants' Association opened today Mr A. Heine (Wellington) presiding. It.' was decided that the next conferenco be hold in Wellington. The Chairman read a paper in Old and New Methods of Education," criticising the lack of knowledge of grammar possessed bv students under the present system, which in effect produced students who had "learned many things but not much." ' Mr Rentier read a paper on The NewZealand dialect." discussing prominent defects in pronunciation, and enunciation. Ho suggested that teachers should first place themselves above reproach in this respect.- Then they could undertako to remedy, defects in the children's speech. Resolutions were adopted urging the Government to issue regulations instructing classes to 25 pupils, and to make the military year for secondary school senior cadets coincide with the school year. It was also decided to urge the Government to )>ass legislation governing the training of secondary schoolmasters and mistresses. Members of the Association are to be circularised to asceratin the number who hold the department certificates and the class of such, with the number. of years' teaching and the time 1 hat lias elapsed rince the last promotion in certificate.

Officers were elected as follows:—President. Mr F. H. Campbell; vice-president. Miss L. E. Bing: secretary and treasurer, Mr F. M. Renner; executive. Messrs E. W. Andrews. H. J. D. Mahon, H. Heino, nnd A. C. Gifford. Tli.- executive was authorised to consider questions of superannuation, salaries and promotions.

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. A deputation of secondary school teachers wa& introduced to Hon, James Allen bv Sir William Russell, M.L.C. Mr H." Gifford. M.A., asked the Minister to; consider the question of superannuation, urging him to place secondary teachers upon a parallel footing as regards superannuation with Civil Servants. This class received superannuation allowances based upon their three best years of service, i.e.. when they were receiving their highest salaries, whereas teachers received their solatium upon a computation based on I heir last three years of service. Mr A. Heine, M.A., said that when the arduous nature of the.teachers' work was considered, and the fact that in many eases as they grow old they might be compelled to take positions carrying a smaller salary than in former years, it was obvious that the present condition of superannuation was unfair . Jtfr G. A. Lundie. M.A., of the Palmerston' North High School, addressed the Minister upon the question of salaries. Mr Lundie contended that a serious flaw in High School teachers' conditions of service lay in the fact that they were practically at the merey of their boards as far as promotoin was concerned. Unlike primary teachers, High School teachers could never where they were likely to stand at the end of any year as regards their pay. Mr Lundie. speaking on the. amount of salaries paid to the teachers, said that he could only speak of the moneys passed for payment by his own board, but contended that the salary sheet was utterly inadequate. When the Board had disbursed the moneys it possessed for salary purposes, the fact remained that only one whole time employed teacher, the present Acting-Rector, received a salary of over £250 a year. No other teacher on the staff received as -much as £250. The senior science master received £220, another £2OO. and another £lB5. The last named did the upper commercial work, took form I. and a matriculation class. Mr Lundie argued that the reward paid was by no means commensurate with the work to bo done. He made 4 comparison between " tho training.- .required and the money earned by barristers and solicitors and secondary teachers respectively, urging that whereas it needed no more brain power to lake an LL.B. degree than that of M.A., most solicitors who could hold on for a year or so could rely upon a fairly lucrative practice. He quoted a local instance where a young solicitor * was doing fairly well though in practice but a few months. It was for reasons such as these that he hoped the Minister would not treat the present complaint as one for a mere "sop" or "dole." It was asked that men's salaries should begin at £2OG a year and go up to £515. with certain special concessions, and that women's saia riee should advance from £IBO to £4OO per annum after 20 years' Bervice. "We are not pointing a pistol at your head." concluded Mr Lundie, "for for we know that we are not goin<r to be treated as the unjust judge treated the widow. We know that our ease will be treated with on its merits." The Minister: Have you nwde any calculation as to- what these proposed increases will cost the country a vear.

Mr Lundie: We have anticipated this question. There are some 200 odd secondary teachers, and the increase might be between £25,000 and £30.000 a vear.

The Minister: We propose to increase salaries bv £49.000.

Mr Lundie: We hope to receive a like consideration with the Civil Servants. MR ALLEN'S REPLY.

Tii© Minister in reply, said: I candidly admit that it i« not fair. There is no ■olid matter of difference of prniciple between the deputation and myself. But the question is so difficult that I cannot deal with it in a patchwork way. Mr Allen went onto say that it was mainly a matter oT finance. He had a very great deal of work to do at the moment, but he would give an assurance that the question of salaries to secondary teachers «ould receive his early and earnest consideration.

After answfringr several questions. Mr Allen concluded: I believe you are underpaid, and the inequalities as they appear to me will be removed. I will do'my best. Some provision has been made for the primary teachers this year, and the claims of our secondary teachers will not be neglected. Tho deputation then thanked the Minister and withdrew.