SCHOOL TEACHERS' GRIEVANCES.

Northern Advocate, 5 September 1913, Page 5

SCHOOL TEACHERS' GRIEVANCES.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER.

SALARIES AND SUPERANNUATION

WELLINGTON, Sept. 5

A deputation from the Secondary School Teachers' Association waited on the Minister for Education (Hon. J. Allen) yesterday to press their claims in the matter of superannuation and salaries. They desired that the former should be counted on the highest three years' salary as. with the Civil Servants, and not on the last three years. It was urged that v__the strain was too great to permit teachers continuing at work. The highest salary reached in the scale of salaries was proposed and under which, a first year master would begin at £220 and a mistress at £180, and would reach in the tenth year £365 and £295 respectively, after ten years the annual increments to be £15 and £10 respectively till £515 and £400 was reached. Instances were given of low salaries and injustices inflicted. The cost of the proposal was estimated at £25,000 to £30,000 a year. It was stated that only seven out of 248 teachers were receiving £200 a year. The Minister returned a sympathetic reply, but held out no hope of immediate alterations. The points brought before him would, he said, have his very earnest attention, and next year legislation would be brought down dealing with salaries in both primary and secondary schools. The Minister said he desired to make the lot of the teachers better and his promise was r.ot an idle one.