TEACHERS' SALARIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9314, 25 September 1893, Page 3

TEACHERS' SALARIES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— your issue of Saturday last there appeared a letter over the sienature of "A Visitor Up North" drawing attention to the case of a lady teacher under the Board of Education who is employed in one of the country districts at the munificent salary of £20 per annum. Out of this she has to maintain herself and keep a horse, on which she has to ride a distance' of four miles to and from her school. If this is not sweating pure and unadulterated I do not understand the meaning of the word sweating. I should like to draw the notice of the Women's Franchise League to this very great injustice to one of their own sex, and point out to them the desirability of their pushing on their eftorta in the direction of obtaining seats on the Board of Education, where they will find ample scope for their energies in the way of equalising the salaries paid to lady and gentleman teachers. It has always appeared to me most unfair that there should De such a disparity in the rates paid to these teachers. It is admitted on all sides that women are especially adapted for the teaching of the young, and that equally as good results, and better, perhaps, are obtained by lady teachers as their male co-workers ; that being so, by all processes of reasoning they should receive equal payment for their services. The Government, too, to be consistent, now that they have decided that women have equal political rights, should see to it that they have an equal right to be placed upon the same footing as men engaged in the same ol8»«<>s of employment in the different departments of the Government service. This correspondence will no doubt have the effect of drawing the attention of the Board to the case in question, which appears to be an extremely hard one, and if the facts are as stated receive favourable consideration at their hands.— am, etc., James Regan.