"EXAGGERATED NONSENSE."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17593, 5 October 1920, Page 5

"EXAGGERATED NONSENSE."

MINISTER AND TEACHERS.

A reply to recent criticisms of teachers' salaries has been made by the Minister for Education in Wellington. He denied that the teaching conditions in New Zealand are " deplorable."

" The salaries paid in New Zealand already compare more than favourably with the remuneration given to teachers in any other part of the world, with, perhaps, an exception in favour of the recent Burnham scale in England; which has just been brought into operation," said Mr. Parr. " Against the English increase, however, there is to be set the English cost of living, which is, I should imagine, nearly twice as high as ours as regards food and clothing. While, since my entry to office, I have fully realised the necessity for improving conditions, I deprecate exaggerated nonfense on the point. Moreover, critics might at least grant my department and myself the courtesy'' of few weeks until the £300,000 recently granted by the Government, is added to the present salaries. When these new increments are made. I hope to be able to prove conclusively that our scale of payment w<ll not be inferior to that of any part of the world: and if anything, will provide a somewhat higher rate of remuneration than any other branch of the Civil Service; this notwithstanding the new and extremely liberal scale proposed the other day by the Public Service Commissioners for the Civil Service. One writer referred to American salaries, and said teachers were deserting the service. I am not i surprised at it, because the salaries paid in America are, in many cases, very little more than half the salaries paid here to-day, and to suggest a comparison between the pay of teachers in some States with ours is as absurd as it is ill-founded."