TEACHERS' SALARIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8404, 4 November 1890, Page 3

TEACHERS' SALARIES.

TO THE EDITOIi. Sir,—-The reason of non-payment of lady teachers equal to the opposite sex can scarcely be " the fear that the lady teachers would be driven from the profession by their co-workers," when it wua stated at a previous meeting six-sevenths of the teachers were females. Again, surely the members of the Board of Education do not credit the masters of the schools with as Httrte sense of fairplay or chivalry as they seem to possess. Fair day's pay foe fair day's worts, irrespective of sex, is the right of all. The statement " ladies had to pass a less severe examination 3d arifchmatic" requires proof. The questions being identical, supposing it were truq, they have to pass iu two subjects froaj which the mala sex are exempt, in any they are required to teach as. much if not more. Then., as to discipline, scholars an not taken in account. Head teachers who are unable bo control their pupils aw manifestly unfit for office, and should Ik removed. If any of the said pupils be not amenable to discipKse, they should not he allowed in the school. Schools an not intended to be reformatories. The Act provides for any cases of gross mfeaonduct. Corporal is not the only ptuiishiaonfr, As to the question of surplus assistants, surely when teachers have passed through their training as pupil teachers they axpeqb to be promoted and retained as assistants. If too many, why take on more to swell tin number. It seems strange that assistants, experienced in teaching, should be di» missed for failure in one subject, and candidates for pupil teachers taken on wheu they have not fully paused the preliminary examination. The fact that supplies cannot be sent whea needed to the various schools does not show many in excess of staff. The remedy for excess is very easy (if any^: take no more pupil teachers on for several years, and there will then be an urgent demand for teachers, with salaries sufficient to induce them to enter the service, and obtain a decent livelihood.— am, &c., Observer,