TEACHERS’ TROUBLES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3102, 27 August 1913, Page 13

TEACHERS’ TROUBLES.

SHORT-STAFFING AND SMALL SALARIES.

REPORT BEFORE EDUCATION BOARD.

There have recently come before the Otago Education Board resolutions setting out the necessity of in some way helping school teachers, and more especially teachers in back-block schools, both in the matter of increasing their salaries and affording assistance by extra staffing. The Head Teachers’ Association has recently passed resolutions on the subject, and the Now Zealand P’armors’ Union wrote to the board suggesting that salaries of teachers in back-block schools should bo supplemented by a small subsidy. Last week Chief Inspector Richardson presented to the board a report which covered the ground mapped out by these resolutions and suggestions. It ran as follows :

“ Comparison of salaries paid to teachers with those paid in other branches of service shows that the former are lower both in the entrance grades and in the average salary. In this way the teaching service is handicapped in competition with other branches in securing suitable candidates, especially males, for pupil teacherships and probationerships. When a lad of 15 compares the salary of £25 and £lO yearly increments offered to a first year’s pupil teacher and the arduous course of study extending over from four to six years, with tho salary of £3l and £ls yearly increments rising to a salary of £220 in 13 years without the strain of examinations and of competition, he does not hesitate which to choose. There is need for improvement here, and also for improvement in the salaries of adult teachers, so as to place them on equality with salaries in other branches. 1 think the board should support this part of the resolution in order to secure such improvements as follows: —(1) Making entrance to the teaching service as attractive as entrance to other branches of service. (21 Bringing annual increments into lino with increments granted in other branches of the public service. (3) Equalising salaries of teachers with those in other branches. (4) Differentiating to a greater extent than is now done between salaries in rural schools and those of assistantships in largo centres. Tho board has already approved of tile proposal to have salary made independent of average attendance or roll number. Increased staffing has been advocated by tho board’s inspectors for years, and the board has approved of it. It is this phase of trouble rather than fho question of salary that Iras, I believe, led to the epithet ‘sweating.’ A few facts will make the need for increased staffing in the larg) schools abundantly clear. •• In tho city and suburban schools there aro upwards of 40 females in charge of standard classes varying from 60 to 77 in roll number. In the infant departments worse conditions prevail. For example, we find 181 pupils under two teachers and a pupil teacher, 76 pupils under one teacher and a pupil teacher, 178 pupils under three teachers, 151 pupils under one teacher and a pupil teacher, and so on. in classes where tho teaching to be most effective should be largely individual work. When the department introduced tho additional assistant scheme, the assistants should have boon placed in these and similar schools, and arrangements should then have been made to provide for the increased supply of teachers to meet tile demands. Tho department did not make such provision, and teachers have boon working under most distressing conditions with wonderful energy and surprising patience; but when it was declared that no legislation dealing with primary education was likely to be introduced this session, tho tension became too strong and teachers became aggressive. Last year departmental arrangements were made to increase the supply of teachers, but the effects of those arrangements cannot bo felt for a couple of years. I believe if relief is granted in tho question of salary, our staffs will await loyally and patiently tho results of these arrangements, for they all recognise that the introduction of tho additional assistants at once could be done only at tho expense of the country schools. The redress of teachers’ grievances is at bottom a financial question, and the remedy lies with tho Legislature. No one could be more willing to have these grievances removed than the present Minister and his executive officers, both of whom have, within ray personal knowledge, repeatedly shown themselves deeply and earnestly interested in the advancment of tho lot of our primary school teachers. I recommend that tho board should give a general support to the resolutions forwarded by the association.” The Hon. T. Fergus moved: ” That tho board extends its hearty support to the Head Teachers’ Association, and congratulates it on the stops it has taken to get justice at last.” Mr M'Kinlay seconded. Tho Chairman said he wished to emphasise a point that ho had always advocated and that was tho utter fallacy of paying a teacher upon average attendance. So long as the present system prevailed there would never bo content among teachers. More than that, salaries should be personal payments and should not bo in anv way contingent upon tho position occupied by the teacher. Whatever legislation might do it would never bring content to the teaching profession until something had been done to give to every teacher in the service an assured salary based upon experience, capacity, and length of service. They ought to era-

phasise the words of the inspector in regard to those entering the profession. The motion was carried, and it was also decided that the opinion of the board should bo communicated to the Minister of Education.

IMPORTANT MINISTERIAL GUARANTEE. (Fhou Oun Own CoiiREsroNDKNT.) WELLINGTON, August 21. After consultation with the executive of the New Zealand Educational Institute the Minister of Education (the Hon. Jas. Allen) has given a guarantee which, it is expected, will have the effect of suspending for the present the agitation on the part of the teachers for the improvement of their lot.

The Minister this evening informed your representative that for tliis year ho would give a guarantee tiiat no teachers’ salaries would be affected by the provisions of the Education Act that teachers’ salaries should bo regulated in accordance with the average attendance of pupils. This would prevail till the Education Act itself could bo thoroughly overhauled, which was a task set apart for next session. lie has also promised to consider the question when the Act is revised of replacing the “average attendance” system with something better. This concession on the part of the Minister, in addition to the other improvements promised for this year in the Budget, lias been officially accepted by the executive of the Educational Institute as putting an end for the present to the prevailing state of agitation on the part of the teachers. For some time members of Parliament have been regularly and persistently inundated with letters from teachers beseeching consideration of their lot. This wearing campaign has so far had the effect of influencing those members to keep the subject alive, but now that a practical “time” has been agreed upon the members will be far from sorry. The concessions promised in the Financial Statement wore that from January 1 the yearly increments in the several grades would be raised from £5 to £lO, that better provision would bo made for some of the staffs in the training colleges, and for the secondary assistants in district high schools. These are but temporary measures, and the full text of the report of the Education Commission is now receiving consideration at the hands of the Education Committee.

One of the questions of improving the teachers hangs upon the condition of the Superannuation Act. It is the desire of the profession that superannuation should be based upon the salary paid in the three best years and not upon the three last years of the teacher’s career. The difficulty in granting this is that it opens up the whole question of superannuation, not of teachers alone, but of the whole service. It has to bo pointed out that if this concession were granted, and the basis of the three host years accepted, then teachers who, after reaching their zenith, were obliged to accept smaller positions with smaller remunerations, would still have to be prepared to contribute to the fund on the basis of their three best years. It is understood that the Educational Institute is agreeable to accept the concession on this basis. An actuarial examination of the scheme on this basis will have to be made, but the Minister has it under close consideration, and it is felt to bo possible that an amending Act may be introduced on these linos, which would include all civil servants as well as teachers.

Another suggestion which has been made, and which is receiving consideration, aims particularly at improving the lot of country teachers. The proposal is that Grade IA teachers, from £IOO to £lO5, should be abolished. So far as all solo teachers arc concerned, with town and country teachers on the same basis, the town gets the best men; but if that grade were abolished, country teachers would have a benefit of £lO a your, and would consequently have some encouragement.