THE TEACHER’S LOT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 3

THE TEACHER’S LOT.

AN ARRAY OF QUESTIONS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 13. That the lot of the teacher is receiving much prominence in political circles ifl shown by the array of questions and answers appearing in the usual supplementary order paper issued to-day. Over two columns of small type are taken up in outlining the position of affairs in relation to certain aspects of the profession, while notice of further questions was also given to-day by other members.

In reply to a question by Mr Sidey about staff conditions, Mr Allen (Minister of Education) said that the new scale of staffing established by the 1908 amending Act would be brought into force as quickly as possible. Mr Sidey's question stated that some teachers were in charge of 80 or 90 pupils, and Mr Allen replied that the scale existing in 1908 provided one teacher and one pupil teacher to each 90 pupils in all large schools. The 1903 Act provided for the gradual dkplacement of pupil teachers by adult teachers, and when it was in force it would give, besides the head teacher, one sissistanfc for each 50 pupils in all large schools. The process of improvement was unavoidably retarded by the fact that the number of qualified teachers was not sufficient to fill all the vacancies that would be created if the Act were brought into force immediately. Personally, ho did not npprovo of as many as 70 or 80 pupils being placed under one teacher. REDUCTION OF SALARIES.

Last week Mr Allen, in replying to a question, pointed out that the provisions in the Education Act operated to prevent a teacher’s salary from being reduced by diminished attendance.

To-day Mr Sidey returned to the charge, and said that teachers’ salaries had been reduced from this cause.

In reply, Mr Allen gave definite figures of all such cases in the last two years, and explained that the education boards could avoid all such results by timely transfers. Thirty-two schools were concerned, and in all except three of them the average attendance for three years or more "was below the minimum of the grade, and it took two years more under the Act before the teachers’ salaries were reduced. There were, therefore, five years in which the boards could have transferred the teachers if they had seen lit to do so, and certainly more than sufficient vacancies had occurred during the same period. In the cases of two of ‘ho three remaining schools the board, by a change of policy .in establishing new schools in the neighbourhood and by the reorganisation of the existing schools, accordingly reduced the grade of the schools in one year, and two years after that, or three years in all, the teachers’ salaries fell. The department had no knowledge of the reason why the teachers were not transferred to the schools m which they would have been entitled to their former salaries. It was obvious that, whatever system of staffing was adopted, nothing could be done to avoid either overstaffing on the one hand or hardship on the other unless the powers of transfer were reasonably used. Mr G. M. Thomson submitted the following question to-day: —“Will the Minister of Education consider the question this session of so amending the Teachers’ Superannuation Act as to enable teachers to have their superannuation allowance computed on the three best years of their service instead of on the three last years?” In a- note Mr Thomson adds:

“ Teachers’ positions differ from those of members of the ordinary civil service in that their salaries are liable to be reduced through no fault of their own. The passing of such an amendment would not only be an act of justice, but would facilitate promotion among teachers, as many of the older teachers in the service

would accept less onerous and less highlypaid positions if they were assured that their superannuation would not suffer.”