PAYMENT OF TEACHERS

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 14

PAYMENT OF TEACHERS

THE OTAGO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE'S PLAN. ~ The following is an outline of the proposed scale of teachers' salaries, the principle of which was unanimously adopted by the Ot&go Branch of the New Zealand. Educational Institute at its annual meeting: — The original motion affirmed — " That teachers be paid a minimum fixed salarybased on efficiency, and thai this fixed minimum salary be supplemented by increments based on the amount of labour and responsibility of the position held by the teacher." The term "efficiency" was to be understood in he broadest sense as including anything 1 and everything that tended to make a teacher better qualified to do his work. On the motion of Mr Eudey an amendment was carried denning the term "efficiency" as including literary atainments and length of service. In order to give form and shape to the principle and show its method of working it is necessary to assume typical grades of efficiency — say, six grades as proposed by the Promotion Committee. Then, on the assumption of a fixed salary of £80 for the lowest grade, and a rise of £20 for each promotion, the highest grade will carry a fixed minimum salary of £180. This salary is altogether independent of and unaffected by the nature of the appointment held by the teacher or the average attendance of the school. i In the smaller schools this fixed salary is supplemented by an attendance increment based on the average attendance of the j school, and ie further supplemented in the medium and larger schools by an increment based on the number of assistants on the staff of the school. The figures submitted are not intended to indicate either a rise or a reduction of salaries, or even to be actually adopted at all, but are simply given by way of illustration, and are purposely worked out to approximate to the salaries now being paid to the teachers in the various positions. In the case of sole teachers and head masters the increments are dependent upon average attendance. The increment for attendance begins with £10 for grade 1, and rises £10 p«r grade to £40 for grade 4; then, again, from £30 in grade 5 to £60 in grade 8. The increment for staff gives £5 for each pupil teacher or junior assistant, and £10 for each assistant of a higher position. The application of the given principles to the payment of assistant teachers is more difficult, owing to the fact that these are not classified upon any definite basis. This has apparently led to a method of classifying in numerical order by which the teacher df a higher class receives a higher salary Hum. ji* teaoher oj * lower. <rf*fis*

It is difficult to see how this practice can be justified upon educational grounds. If the lower class is badly taught, the wrong mental attitude given to the pupils in the lower class will ba carried by them into the higher class, and will to a greater or less extent render ineffective the better teaching- in this class, and will in some respects utterly defeat it. In order to apply the principle of payment for efficiency a new method of classification «f assistants is assumed. This proposal assumes the elimination of the pupil teacher and the substitution of a juniorassistant, who has been trained in a Normal School and holds a teacher's certificate, but has not sufficient experience to bs_ entrusted with the charge of a class. In. the table furnished for assistants, a comparison of the proposed payments with the salaries now paid to assistants of the same grade o£ efficiency will show a somewhat lower rate of payment to teachers of. tha_ lower grades of efficiency, and a higheo rate to those of the higher grades of efficiency. For the purpose of comparison Hi is assumed that grades df efficacy 1 to 5 correspond -to the efficiency divisions' no* in force, but the figures read in inverted order. Grade 6 stands for superior organising ability. - In these tables the proposed «ates o| payment are altogether independent of the average attendance,' and are the same for all grades of schools. This statement tdso applies to the position of mistress as far up as grade 18. Proposed Classification of Assistant Teach«rs.—(l) Junior assistant, working uade* th-» immediate supervision of another teacher; (2) competent assistant, being subject to the direotioTof the headmaster only; (3) responsible asaistaat, having the directwm of a jurior ; (4) first assistant, b«mg competent -to take th« place of tke Wmaate* fo- a short time—this position te bs held in th« larger schools only;—(5) mistress, having charge of the infant dopartawnt. Basis of P»ymexrt.-U) Fixed sakxy upongrade of efficiency; (2) increment te Po*|"» I-JE2O for each rise: (3) female aeeisiaatr-five-eighths of ibsA for male assistant. Tablb L—Soib Tsacbmrs amb Hbao Mastkbs.

* *1 « II H 3 ' I ii I II am s * Capvt*0 1 £80 £— «— *8° tk>n£6 { j l«i 10-110 U0 2 2 100 20 — 120 V 3 120 *> — 1«J "" ft 2 100 80 — 180 \. 3 120 30 — 150/ 14 * 1 £ 190 40 — 160 > 4 140 40 — 180/ *» 5 8 120 30 '10 1601 4 140 30 10 ISO A 16S 6 8 120 40 ' 10 170 \ t«n 4 140 4O 10 190/ W 7 8 120 50 10 1801 TOJS 4 140 50 10 200/ JSW 3 4 - 140 60 10 2101 _,_ 5 160 60 10. 230/ al6 9 4 140 60 15 215 1 WK 5 160 60 15 235) W5 10 4 140 60 20 230' ' „ 5 160 60 20' 240 235 U- 6 160 60 80 . 2501 rtr 6 180 60 30 270/ 25 ° 12 5, 160 60 40 2601 „«_ 6 180 t 60 40 280/ 26 » 13 5 160 60 45 265\ „_ 6 180 60 46 285/ 27S U 5 160 GO 65 2761 _.. 6 180 60 65 295/ 29 ° 16 6 180 60 65 305 300 16 6 180 60 70 310 310 17 6 180 60 80 320 380 18 6 180 60 «5 326 330 19 6 180 60 95 395 340 20 6 180 60 100 340 350 21 « 180 SO 110 360 360 22 6 180 60 115 355 366 33 8 180 60 126 866 370 24 6 180 «0 ISO 370 375 25 6 180 60 140 380 888 TABUS lI.— JIJUJS AWIBTAHTS. Junior Meisteat 2 £80 £— - «80 3 100 — 100 Competent asaistant ra 9 100 20 120 3 iao ao Ma Befsponsibla Mfdatamb .. B 130 40 160 « 4 140 40 180 s 190 40 aqp Faxst Assistant - « 160 60 230 Tabu llL—^emalb Assistakts. (OflJcul*tion on the ac*k> of five-mgbtbe). Junior asiifftwit 1 £ 50 £— £ 50 2 62i — 62$ assiflrtant — 2 «i * 12| 75 » 8 75T 19J 871 oorietftad —3 75 95 100 4 871 ' 25 113| 5 100 25 126 Tabu IV.— Uzstbbso. 6 •C.A. 9 £76 JBI2J J8 87§ { --- O.A. "^ 87| 124 100 1 * • C.A. 8 76 12J 87i-» „ Q.A. 4 87* 12J 100 * ** 7\ C.A. 3 75 12| 87it „ C.A* 4 87J 12J 100 f w S O.A. 4 87J 12J 100 { 0 +R.A. 4 87J 2S llfli) B.A. 5 100 25 12* f lw 10 B.A. 4 87J 25 112} I B.A. 6 100 25 125 >«* 11 B.A. 4 87i 25 H2JI 11ft B.A. § 100 25 126 F - 11 * « it s a s a> w 14 B.A. 6 1«* 25 Ml lm i| ».X c us* 371 i« i*| it B.it" / »» 87* ie»9