THE SALARIES OF ASSISTANT TEACHERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8360, 13 September 1890, Page 6

THE SALARIES OF ASSISTANT TEACHERS.

PROPOSED ALTERATIONS. A NEW SCALE OF PAYMENT. A proposal was made yesterday to the Auckland Board of Education for an alteration in the salaries of certificated assistant teachers. '1 he following scale was submitted by the Chairman, .who proposed that it should come into force on the Ist October next: — Male. Female. Class E.— £80 £50 E3, under S years' service 100 GO E3, over S years'service 120 To E2, under S years' service l;>o 80 E2, over a years' service 150 90 El ISO 110 Class D.—in 100 on P3, under 8 years'service 120 70 D 3, over 8 years'service HO SO 1)2, under S years' service ISO 90 112, over 8 years' service 170 ion 1)1 200 120

Class C— £10 higher than the rates specified for Class D. Class A and E.—£2o higher than the rates specified for Class D. Provided (1) that no teachers shall be entitled to scale salary until after the lapse of two years from the date at which they qualified for a certificate; (2) that until otherwise ordered by the Board, any existing salaries which are in excess of the scale shall continue to be payable as if the scale were not in force.

The report of the chairman also stated :— The resolutions of the Board passed on the 11th May, 1888, regarding the status and remuneration of ex-pupil teachers, shall be revoked at the 31st March, 1891; and in lieu thereof the following resolutions shall come into force from the 'list March, 1S91:—1. Pupil teachers who have completed the term of their indentures, and whom the Board may seek to retain in its employment, shall be ranked as junior assistants, and shall be paid salary according to the following rates : —If classified full D, males £70, females £60; if classified full E, males £00, females £.30; all others 3rd year rank, males £50, females £40; 2nd year rank, males £40, females £30. 2. Junior assistants who are

hilly certificated shall be eligible for appointment to the start' of assistants in order of merit, according to their length of service, classification, and teaching ability, 3. The engagement of a junior assistant shall be terminable by three months' notice at any time, or upon a second failure to qualify for a certificate. 4. The regulations of the Board which apply to the instruction of pupil teachers shall apply also to the instruction of uncertificated junior assistants.

Mr. Udy said that the regulation now in force provided that certificated male assistants should be paid from £80 to £225, and females from £50 to £120 ; and that in determining their salaries the Board would take into consideration their classification, length of service, ability, due weight being also given to proficiency in singing, drawing, gymnastic* and needlework. No scheme had been attempted for equalising the salaries, and for the past three years there had been no systematic promotion except that adopted in October, 1889, on the basis of classification, date of certificate, and length of service. Formerly the salaries of assistant teachers were fixed by a scale according to the average attendance of the school and to the position of the assistant. Under that scale it not unfrcquently happened that owing to the accident of his or her position in a certain school an assistant would be in receipt of a higher salary than another of equal or perhaps greater standing. It had been found impossible to prevent inequalities of salaries arising in this manner. Owing to the large excess of assistant teachers over the number actually required, and to the large proportion of highly paid assistants, the Board had hitherto refrained from committing itself to a scheme for their gradual promotion. Now, however, that the excess was being reduced, and that many of the higher paid assistants had been appointed to the charge of schools, it seemed to be a favourable opportunity to consider the whole question of arranging a scale which would secure to assistants a reasonable promotion, according to their claims in respect of classification, service, and efficiency. A suitable and convenient oasis of remuneration would be the grade of certificate which depended upon the teacher's attainments, service, and efficiency combined. A scale of payment constructed on this basis would equalise salaries, and would work automatically from year to year. The scheme submitted had been drafted accordingly for the consideration of the Board, with a view to placing the status and remuneration of assistant teachers upon a satisfactory footing It was designed—(l) to pay_ to assistant teachers such reasonable salaries as will not deter them from accepting promotion to the charge of schools; (2) to provide for the gradual extinction of the present surplus number of assistants; (3) to regulate the employment and remuneration of ex-pupil teachers; and (4) to avoid any possible embarrassment of the Board's finances. Any necessary revision of salaries in the future would be much more easily accomplished when existing complications were removed by the payment of an equal salary to all assistants of equal merit. He had had a difficulty in deciding whether it was fair to pay an assistant in charge of 70 children in a city school, at the same rate as that received by an assistant with equal certificate, in charge of 20 or 30 children in the

country. Mr. Luke said he would oppose the scale on the ground that too great a difference was made between the pay of male teachers and that of female teachers.

It was decided to postpone the consideration ot the matter for a fortnight, to await the return of members of the Board from Wellington.