TEACHERS' SALARIES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6494, 14 April 1908, Page 7

TEACHERS ' SALARIES.

AN AGITATION PROMISED. AVERAGE ATTENDANCE SYSTEM. STATEMENT BY SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION, Teachers are agitating about their salaries, and we understand that active steps are being taken to enlist the «ym- j pathy of those outside the actual ranks of tho profession, the main grievance being lh« fluctuation of salaries due to tho variation in average attendance. Btr Edward Gibbe.s i.oecreuuy lor Education,) was questioned upon this subject oy a ‘’Times" reporter, and, while he could offer no opinion upon the teachers' cu-.o as it is to be presented to tno public, he threw an important side-light upon the prineixmi grievance, in his opinion, the complaint against tho operation of tlio system would bo minimised if its regulations were more thoionghly understood. Tho Education Department, he states, ia 1 frequently calling tho attention of Education (Bounds to tho regulations. “There was a case in Napier; tf he explained, “where tho btaff and salaries were to be curtailed. Tho committee apT)eah:-d, and the department pointed out, after looking into the whole matter, that there was no need for reduction. TWO YEARS* WARNING. “Take the case of a school declining in attendance. I’orhaps it is in a tim-ber-milling district, and with the mills in full swing there is a large attendance. As the bush is worked out, people go away, and the school attendance decliue-s. In such a case the Education Board should watch tho attendances ami the circumstances. When they sec such a school declining they should say: ‘There is going to be a large drop; wo must move tho teacher to a place where ho will earn his salary of £2OO/ But they don't do that. They sometimes wait a couple of years—there is always a warning of two years—and down comes tho salary with a thud, and everybody howls and says 'What a scandalous thing!* ** ANOTHER SAFEGUARD. “There is a regulation that for the average attendance of any two quarters may be substituted the corresponding average of the previous year, if Km, the certificate of the District Health Officer it is shown that an infectious disease of an epidemic character has been locally prevalent to the extent of affecting 10 per cent, or more of the children of school age. In tho case of Woodvillo school, tho Hawke*s > Bay Board, in consequence of reduction of average 'attendance, gave notivo of reduction of tho etaff. On the school. committee*© appeal, the opinion of the local Health Officer was invoked, and he gave the requisite certificate, with tho result that tho staff was maintained.”