TEACHERS' SALARIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14358, 30 October 1908, Page 7

TEACHERS' SALARIES

THE ANNUAL IXCKKMEXTS. The announcement ot the Hon. Mr i'owlds, Minister of Education, that t.ho Jiduwtion Amendment Act of 1903 clearly lays it down Hint, teachers having salaries lwlow tlm minimum v.ou!<l rec-3i\e anmvil increments of £5, hut would not !:o rai.-wl to the minimuii' by one inorease, has .'roated considerable surprise in Iho ninli-s of the teaching profession. It would appear from 1110 Ilanfard reporli; cf the <li;ciusiou on the bill that not-hiii!} l<c-yond llio £5 w«s inlended. In moving the committal of the bill on August 2! the Hon. Air Fowkls said: "The scheme of promotion provMcd in the kill is iwefold —partly by email annual ineremnts, ami partly by promotion." The Minister then skelchcd a .liypolhetieal career of a. tcaehqa-. " Wo will suppose," he said, '' he enters a training- college—and perhaps the university—at 18, all cxpemce being paid by the State: -- tl.iins certificate'at 21 or 22. Salary, At ago 22, ha* post of Grade 2 rcneher of country school or as assistant) £120 22-25, .salary rhes to 135 'tii, transferred to Grade- 3 (ccitnlry sehcol) ...' 159*-25-28, salary rises tp 165 28, transferred to tirade 4 (tounl-ry «:hool) i len* 28-51, salary rises to 185 31, transferred lo Grade 5 (iiist. arrant, school of Cranio 8) 210 31-M, salary rises to <i2o 31, tratiferoJ to Grade 7a (first assistant, large school) 270 31-33, salary rises to 280 38, Innsferred to sc'ncol of Grade C ihoad teacher) 310~ 58-' it), tslary rises to 310 Ir.ii:;lon-c<l to so'icol (>ra<lc 9... 350* salary rises to 370 ■ or even-to Grade 10 ... ... .. 370 s tiling to . ... ICO * And Jiousa or hcuse allowcnce. Then on Septcnibor 8 Air James Alien, discussing the salaries cll'cred to the district high school teachers under the bill, referred in two places in his speech to the "£5 yearly increments," and Mr Elatm-in also made mention of tho "£5 annual incrcnientb." Evidently, therefore, tho point, though it was mentioned in lihe Heme, was not taken hold of and was not objected to. In the committee htago the sub-clause dealing Willi the matter was not touched at. all. and on the third reading no mention was madeof it. Tho eub-clauso in question i 3 subclause (3) of section 7, and reads as follows: "A teacher who is employed in a public school at the commencement, r,< this act shall, so long as bo remains in the same position, receive as from the beginning of each year (commencing with the year 1H09), an annual increment of £5, in addition to the salary received by him at the commencement cf this aot, until hie salary reaohos the maximum .'or the grade or subgrado of salary attached ( 0 (hat position by the act. J THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION. "There is nothing now in the matter " sait! Sir E. 0. Gibbcs, .Secretary of Education, to a Dominion reporter. '"Tho point was raised previously, and dealt with at thtime. He turned up the act. " Clause 7 sub-clause 3-' tho salary received by him at tlio commencement of this act ' that s clear enough, isn't it!" It is arguable, submitted flio reporter "Iho teachers should have <!iawn attention to it before," said Sir Edwa-xd , I hey cay (hat the act cannot possibly 1>» interpreted in terms of the -Minister's deci ston? "Well," concluded tho Sec-rotary of Education, Ac- clause -has icon interpreted m tno,o .ei'ms, and the department is ac-tin* accordingly," ° ATTITUDE OF TEACHERS. The teachers in Dunedin aro hardly indined to accept (ho department's interpretation of the clause. They contend-and anparently with good reason-that if the S C i C egradcd rCSaniCll mlßri<B m,Kt 0 The views of the teachers on tho matter •re very s.m.lar All to whom our reporter spoke agreed that the position which has arisen is very disappointing (o them: thov cannot but think that the intention of Parliament was. that they should receive tho minimum salary as from tho beginning of next year. One of tho senior assistants in II largo school explained that at present lie is recivrng a salary of £245. Under the now au the minimum salary for his position « hied at £270, with a maximum of £290 in to annual increments. "But." ho continaotl, "if tiho Minister's contention is correct it will tako me live years to roach the minimum and another four years to roach tho maximum, 0 r nine years altogether. I anticipated after .the passing of the act that after January next my salary would bo £270, but it appears to me now that it will ho only £250, with tho additional increment of £5. On the other hand if mv position were to become vacant ant! another man were appointed to it, he would at once receive the minimum of £270, though ho might fall considerably short of my length of time and service. Surely there is oomething wrong tlwre." A lady teacher expressed the opinion that the Minister's decision had already keen the cause of considerable consternation anions the femalo teachers of Dunedin and suburbs, and she added that it would ho felt severely in tho country districts, whore somo of the salaries are very poor. Quito a number of young women in the country districts had been expecting that the now scale would greatly' improve their position, but they would be grievously disappointed. Teachers in all grades of the service aro affected more or lew by the interpretation of the act. a.r.d the feeling among them is considerable, though the department, rather than the Minister, seems to be regarded as tho party that- hns raised tho troublous point.