TEACHERS' PAY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16533, 13 September 1924, Page 5

TEACHERS ' PAY.

EQUALITY FOR WOMEN URGED. AMENDMENT REJECTED. (Per Press Association.,) WELLINGTON, last night. In the House of Representatives, Mr Holland, referring to the Minister’s statement that classes should not exceed forty children, said that number was too large. He contended that women teachers should he paid the same rate as men lor equal work. He- moved a reduction nf tlie total vote hv £1 as an indication that women teachers should receive equal pay to men for equal work. The Minister, in reply, said that lie was in receipt of representations on .this subject' from the women teachers, and had replied that these representations must come to him through lire Educational Institute. In no part of the world, so far as ho was aware, was there an education system under which women teachers received the same pay as men. He considered no women teachers in any country were so well paid as in New Zealand. There were 2600 women teachers, most of whom were single', without responsibilities, and were receiving salaries ranging from £5 to £9 weekly, and quite a number of single women in charge ol infant schools received £4OO annually. To bring their salaries up to the level of men would absorb another £4W,000. Mr Holland asked if lire Minister did not think women were doing equal work. The Hon. O. J. Parr replied that that was not his contention, but that the family responsibilities of men should he recognised, “It was a question whether it paid, the State to encourage women teachers; it cost something like £3OO to train them, and then, just- as they were! becoming useful teachers, they got married or left for some purpose of their own, and that was an economic loss to the State. ' Mr Holland said so far as the family aspect of the cgse is concerned, be was prepared to join with the Minister to fix the basic wage for teachers with the addition of family allowances for both jmiii and women. • The Hon. J. A. -Hunan said on the abstract question of equal pay for equal work he' did not see how it could he evaded, and he thought, the Minister should recognise it. Mr Fraser said he had found that women teachers did not want to inter fere with the married men teachers’ allowance, but they insisted that there should be equal pay for equal service. Commenting upon this. Mr Fraser did not consider there i could he .differentiation between men and l women teachers in the matter of ability on account of sox. Mr Wright said he could not see how they could escape from recognising that the basic salary attaching to any certain position should be paid to whomsoever carries it out. This did not niean that married men should not get additional allowance on acocunt of family responsibilities. The Minister said that Mv na, l stated that he would make an allowance for married men. Now his motion ignored this allowance. Would Air Holland consider, say, £IOO per annum a fair al fowancc to male teachers above the amount paid to women, because that was the effect of the present scale of pay?. .Single men teachers .must receive something more than single women, as the former -have to he enabled to make provision for establishing homes for themselves. Mr Isitt said Mr Holland’s proposal was not a practicable one. Mr Monteith thought a better system of differentiation ought to be produced, as the present one prejudiced the position of female teachers as compared with males. Air Savage said the question at issue could be settled at once if something like tho endowment of motherhood were passed. Mr Smith complained of the involved nature of the present scale of payments, which made it- difficult for teachers to work out their salaries. The Minister had too much power to alter salaries, which were now out of the hands of Parliament, whiqh ought to control them. He supported the amepdment. The Minister pointed out that the present scale was not unfair to permanent women teachers, about 1900 in number.' Of these over- fifty per cent rereived from £250 (o J33CO per annum and' the lowest paid, six per rent of life total, received £.IBO, or £3 1-Os weekly. Mr McK pen, contrasted the new school buildings erected in Auckland and -Wellington, and contended that, in designing future schools, facilities should he pro vided for latest- additions to (he cur-; ricul-um. He moved an amendment that' (he total vote he reduced by £9 as an indication that, the staffing of schools should be based on the average roll mini, hers, instead of the average attendance. After a brief discussion, the amend ment was defeated hv 32 to 201