TEACHERS' SUPERANNUAIION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13267, 26 April 1905, Page 5

TEACHERS' SUPERANNUAIION.

! (Psou Oca Own CdRMSfONDENT.) WELLINGTON, April 25. Oil Saturday, Monday, and to-day the executive of the Now Zealand Educational liistttuto, with whom Mr JefFcry, of AnderPay School, had been associated, was (engaged .in discussing details which it is! hoped will form the foundation of a supeiannuation schema for toaehers. This mornbg Messrs Gill, foster, Grundy, Stcwirt, Davidson, , M'Morran, Law, and representing the executive, and' Mr JefFcry formed a deputation to the llight Hon. the Premier and Minister of Education to bring under his notice the question of superannuation andtlic resolutions passed at Wanganui br the institute. The question of euperaunuation was dealt with by Messrs Stewart and Jcffcry, the latter instituting a comparison between the Railway and l'oiice Funds on the one hand and the scheme as generally agreed to by teachers. Mr JcfFery urged the rctsntion of sixtieths for each year of service, and proposed, with the coneurrnneo of his colleague, that the fund should bo further strengthened by the forfeiture, of a percentage of contributions by those retiring voluntarily from the service, and the calculation of annuities on the average salary during term of service. He also urged that ill a scheme which would be compulsory on those entering the service after tho coining into force of the act, and which would bn continuous, as cxpemcs would bo at a minimum, the Government could, without cost to the Slnto, grant teachers better .terms than any competitive insurance companies. Continuing, he criticised the actuarial requirements, and showed that their undue conservatism caused Ihcm lo load a fnntl excessively to provide for all contingencies a commercial company is subject to. Figures were piven showing that ill one instance a mortality rate twice that experienced had bp-en provided for; that tho Police Fund had not the ratio of expenditure to receipts ant icipated by I lie actuary six years a<:o; that the Auckland Anglican Synod scheme bad shown the undue conservatism of actuarial requirements; and that when the Government actuary had criticised the formal scheme put forward he had allowed for a. far lower interest-earning power, and had provided for far earlier retirements than teachers had asked for.

The Premier, in replying, said that proposals for a superannuation scheme For teachers aro now almost complete, and on the way to the actuaries. lie was very hopeful that a workable measure—and one fairly satisfactory to the teachers—would bo introduced next session and, he hoped. carried into law. The time was opportune for it. Most of these large reforms had been carried out during the last session of a Parliament, when members desired to stand well with their constituents in view of the Forthcoming election.—(Laughter.) What had proved a serious drawback in regard to this question had been tho number of olil teachers at present employed. Their length of servirc entitled them to consideration, but, the younger teachers should not be made to pay more heavily in order to provide for the older ones, and he would bo no party to passing legislation in regard to this subject unless something; was done for the old teachers. He was inclined to think that Ihe course they would ultimately take would lie to' asi; Parliamcnt to provide a given sum of uiouev with which to commence the fund. —("Ilear, hear.") He would he pleased to submit the bill, when drafted, to a conference of teachers. As to the scarcity of male teachers, he expressed the opinion that tho reason was that the salary given fo the teacher at the commencement was not sufficient, and compared unfavourably with that given to civil service cadets and clerks in banks ami mercantile offices. Further, he did not, lljink the salaries paid to teachers as a. body were sufficient, in view of the highly responsible position they held. and. although some increase Ind been made, there had been a greater increase in the cost of living. T1 « was in favour or more careful attention bcinc; paid lo the training of teachers, as urged by the deputation, anil was not satisfied with the present, method of calculating salaries on the average attendance. He did not think that tho proposal lo centralise the inspectors would bo generally acceptable. For his own liart. be always supported the Boards of Eduralion being apart from llm central department. He was not, at all satisfied with the nresent condition of Education Beards, and if he wis given time he should endeavour to make an improvement. He was not satisfied as to the constitution of the boards, tho manner in which lliev are elected, the powers ihey exercise. and the manner in which boards and committees clash. His idea was that in ease of a conflict- between the board and the committee there should be some authority to which the matter could bo referred for f ! nal decision. With regard to the new syllabus, he thought a- code of instruction should be sent out by the. department stating definitely bow much was required to bo taught- of ihe various subject.?. The Premier announced that a change had been made in regard to i\fr Ilns-bon, Tuspeelor-general and Secretary for Education. It had been found that a change was necessary, owing lo Mr Hojrbeu having lo he so frequently visiting various paris of the colonv. and it had now been decided that Mr Hogbcn should be relieved o( the duties of secretary, and simply confine himself to the duties of Inspector-general. Sir E. Gibbes, who had been aoling-scn-p----larv for many years, would lake tip the duties of sccretarv.