TEACHERS' SALARIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18760, 14 July 1924, Page 9

TEACHERS' SALARIES.

THE KANE-HYLTON SCHEME. IMPRACTICABLE IN WORKING. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. [BT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL HEPORTEB.] TTKLUNGTON. Saturday. It has been agreed by the Education Department, the Educational Institute and the Edutaation boards, that the KaneHylton scheme of school teachers' salaries is impracticable both on the score of increased cost and incidence, tho latter being greatly to tho advantage of women teachers. The "-Scheme was evolved at the invitation of tho Minister for Education (Hon. C. J. Parr) in reply to the complaints regarding tho existing scale of salaries. Mr. Parr said if a better one could be evolved it would have due consideration. The Kiane>-Hylton scheme was tho result. The Minister has furnished the following report of discussions and conference between the Minister, the department and the New Zealand Educational Institute during tho meeting of the latter in May.

A joint committee, convened by the Minister, met on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to discuss fully the KaneHylton scheme of salaries proposed by tho Teachers' Institute and the present scheme of salaries framed by the department. The committee consisted of the Director of Education (Mr. J. Caughley, chairman), Mr. A. Bell (secretary to the department), Mr. F. Garry (president of the New Zealand Educational Institute), Mr. H. A. Parkinson (secretary New Zealand Institute), Messrs. J. A Finlayson, F. M. Hind, and Mr. T. Kane (also of the institute), Messrs. E. C. Purdie, S. M. Park, E. Shylon (assistant secretary), and E. L. Dunn (secretaries of education boards). Result of Actual Tests.

After long investigation, both of the principles on whifch the Kane-Hylton scheme was based and of how it would work in actual practice, it was unanimously agreed that on the evidence before it the committee finds that the scheme is impracticable in its present form. Actual tests of every individual teacher's case in two districts, together with the calculation of cost made by Mr. Kane, one of the authors of the scheme, showed that as approved by the institute th 9 increased annual cost of the scheme would be so great as to be prohibitive. On the other hand, if the scale rates were reduced accordingly, so as to bring the cost within the presetit expenditure, it was considered by most of the members of the committee that the reduced rates in the scale would not be acceptable to the teachers themselves. Further, the reduction of the scale rates would largely increase the burden that would have to be carried for a greater number of years, resulting from over-scale salaries of teachers who, under the present scheme, are receiving considerably more than they would receive under the Kane-Hylton scheme. Country Schools Handicapped. The evidence before ' the committee showed that one of the main tendencies of the scheme was to benefit the women teachers largely at the expense of the men teachers by considerably reducing tha financial inducements for men to enter the profession. Figures were also submitted which, it was urged, showed that from the economic standpoint women teachers are, under the present scale, paid at least as well as men. Further statements were submitted to the committee which, it was claimed, showed that the country schools would Suffer very largely through the aggregation of the best taacHers in tha towns and, similarly, the large districts would benefit at the expense of the smaller ones. Evidence was also produced that under the Kane-Hylton scheme the number of changes in staff would be at least as numerous as under the present scheme, while any attempt to remedy this by compulsory transfer of teachers to positions for which they did not wish to apply would present endless troubles. Representatives of the institute stated that they were not wedded to the Kane-Hylton scheme, but thev urged the principles of payment of teachers according to their qualifications, instead of according to the position they_ held; also, they stood for an equal basic salary on efficiency for men and women, with allowance for married responsibilities and special positions. Present Scale Discussed.

The committee next discussed the present scale, with a view to its simplification and improvement. A number of suggestions were made and generally approved. The department will prepare a draft of amendments to the present scale, in. accordance with the recommendations of the committee, and these will be submitted to the institute and the boards for further suggestions and comment. At _ the conclusion of the discussion the Minister said he wanted to see the teachers satisfied with the scale of salaries, and he was always willing to listen to any reasonable and practicable proposals in this direction.