TEACHERS’ SALARIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18601, 8 July 1922, Page 7

TEACHERS’ SALARIES

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER.

. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 7. Questions were asked the Minister of Education in the House this afternoon regarding the "out” in teachers’ salaries. The Hon. 0. J. Parr replied at great length and later read a report from the secretary of the Department of Education, who stated that several v of Mr Renner’s statement in his circular to members of Parliament were not in accordance with the facts. Mr Renner had claimed that the secondary school teachers were not even given a bonus till the middle of 1920, but the capitation grants to secondary schools „ were increased in 1915 from £l2 10s to £l3. and in 1919 to £ls, plus grams of £4OO or £SOO to each school, so that the hoards were able to grant increases long Dtfore 1920. The cost of living was considered when the increase was given in 1920 despite Mr Renner’s statement to the contrary. In answer to the claim that the position was anomalous, in that the bonus was deducted and thereafter the salaries reduced, the secretary stated .that this was not so because the secondary school teachers were being treated just in the same way as public school teachers and public servants. It was true -that secondary school teachers did not receive their war bonus till 1920, while primary teachers received their first bonus four veers earlier. But up till 1920 the salaries of secondary teachers were fixed by the employing boards, and not by the Government. As showing how the average salaries of secondary teachers had been increased since the beginning of the war, it was shown that the average salary of all assistants was £2ll in 1914, £246 in 1913. £290 in 1919, and £340 in 1920. an increase of over 60 per cent. At the same time the average salary of male assistants was increased 55 per cent, and that of female assistants over 70 per cent.