THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, MARCH 20, 1905. PAYMENT OF TEACHERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12819, 20 March 1905, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, MARCH 20, 1905. PAYMENT OF TEACHERS.

When the Premier at the Drill Hall on Tuesday last alluded to the insufficiency of teachers' salaries and to the necessity for improving the conditions of this honoured profession, he only echoed the opinion of all who are conversant with the subject and repeated what we have said a hundred times already. His acquiescence has had the effect, however, of bringing the question to the point when we may consider the whole matter of teachers' salaries as open to discussion, for if we once generally agree that they should be improved wo must immediately ask in what form the improvement is to come. At this juncture ve are pleased to give publicity this morning to a communication on the subject in our correspondence columns, in which the payment of teachers by average attendance is very ably criticised. We do not necessarily agree with our correspondent that practically nothing can be said in defence of this system, but we are at one in regarding its disadvantages as greatly outweighing any advantages it may have, and in thinking that no sufficient readjustment of salaries is possible until the system by which salaries are at present paid is entirely reorganised. Doubtless there should be some general correlation between a teacher's classification, the size of his school, and the salary paid. Nobody would expect to see a highclass teacher paid a high-class salary for teaching an insignificant little school, not even though it had fallen in numerical estate owing to the shifting of population. But he should certainly be rendered independent of fluctuations which are beyond his control, and should be paid upon a basis that will compensate him for the work he is expected to do and is liable to be called upon to do. That there must be some fixed and arbitrary method of setting salaries we freely admit, automatic and mechanical processes being inevitable in all public business, and possibly in all business, whether public or private, that is conducted upon a sufficiently large scale to render individual management practically impossible. But this average attendance basis for payment of teachers' salaries is as unsatisfactory as the individual examination of scholars for capitation grant has been found to be throughout the educational world. The average attendance payment is unsatisfactory everywhere and at all I times, but is particularly unsatis-

factory in New Zealand and in Auckland, not only because the attendances in country schools often fluctuate in an amazing way, but because of the complicating inconsistencies with which our Departmental regulations have loaded a system bad in itself. The difference made in the salaries and conditions of teachers, otherwise equally meritorious, -whose scholars number 39 and 41 respectively, is quite ridiculous. The more fortunate teacher is none too well off, but the less fortunate is much to be sympathised with.

In commenting upon educational methods it should be understood that the whole educational world is in the experimental stage, and that no blame attaches to any educational authorities for mistaken systems and- erroneous methods, provided they have done their utmost to make the best, of good forms and to do away with bad forms. Yet we are obliged to say that the matter of teachers' salaries has been left unreformed in this colony much longer than it would have been had the State not tacitly encouraged the elimination of, the male teacher in favour of the female teacher throughout the lower walks of the profession. It is notorious that the salaries paid to teachers in country districts have frequently not been sufficient to maintain a family in comfort, a minor evil if before the teacher thus poorly paid there was the assurance that in the natural course of his duty-doing his salary would increase and his status improve. There is no such assurance. On the contrary,as our correspondent points out, a married teacher drawing a living salary may from causes quite beyond his control, have his salary reduced to a cruel extent. With such risks, such uncertainties, and poor prizes even for the most fortunate, is it to be wondered at that young men generally eschew the teaching profession and leave its ranks to be filled chiefly by young women 1 If there were as many industrial opportunities open to women as to men our Education Department would long ago have had to reform its salary-system or to close many of the country schools through sheer lack of teachers. Even as things are, a year ago it was found necessary to amend .the system, but the amendments clearly do not go deep enough. They still leave teachers at the mercy of variable circumstances, and do not give that encouragement to the patient discharge of a very difficult and trying duty which teachers have a right to expect and public policy ought to induce us to provide. In Ireland, where the latest idea has been put into practice in the State-aided schools, they aim at fixing salary on the basis of " rank, service, and efficiency," rightly inferred by our correspondent as the purpose of a true system. Teachers are there paid, primarily according to classification, secondarily according to term of service, and only lastly according to average attendance. Established in 1900, the system has already proved itself much superior to the fixed salary and "half-capitation' which it generally displaced. Nor do we dcubt that our provincial and colonial teachers, without exception, ■will agree with us that its introduction here would be a great step in the right direction, if not the last word that could be said oil the question of salary basis. For this composite basis would effectively prevent any serious fluctuation in salary, and if reasonably adjusted would ensure to every capable man or woman who entered the service a " living salary"' at an early dale, and the certainty of it in after life as long as they did their duty. The Education Department is the only branch of the Government service which does business as though its employees were commission agents, a method not creditable when we remember the place held by teachers in the community. And if, to make them what they should be, teachers' salaries have to be raised to such an extent that the education charges become burdensome, then some special method must be adopted for the sparsely-settled districts. But we doubt if this will be necessary, for there are many items, including Cabinet and Parliamentary salaries and Mapourika pleasure trips, which can be reduced so as to leave more of the public funds for educational purposes.