CORRESPONDENCE

Southland Times, Issue 19069, 2 March 1921, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE

TEACHERS’ SALARIES.

To the Editor. Sir,—The Minister of Education bm been criticised for his want of sympathy to the needs of primary education since his recent visit to Invercargill, when he did not visit all the schools and gain first hand knowledge of the existing state of affairs. Here is a strange position that has arisen regarding teachers’ salaries since he has become Minister. Under the old scale of salaries in grade 7 schools the mistress, usually the highest female assistant, was classed along with the third assistant as regards salary, while the fourth assistant, in mast cases a male, was grouped with another fourth assistant, usually a female, at a salary of £240-£270. Beginning from February of this year the mistress goes up higher than the third assistant in salary, while the female fourth assistant is placed on a level with the third asairtant at £2BO-£3OO. Your paper this morning showed applications were required for a third and a fourth assistant at an Invercargill school, both at the same salary. The male fourth assistant, who usually has a higher class to teach than the female assistant, and who in many cases is a married man, remains at his old scale of salary. What I want to know is, will a man who applies for the fourth assistantship under the £2BO-£3OO scale have this salap’ altered to £240-£270 if he is successful in obtaining the position ? If not we have the strange position of two fourth assistants receiving different salaries, while if two ladies held the positions they would probably both receive £2BO-£3OO. Why not say at once that the lady should receive more salary as she has more responsibility and class her position on the staff equal to the third assistant? At present the male assistant has an equal position, and I am certain does equal work and receives less money. Let the Director of Education receive less pay than the Assistant Director and see how long he would stick at his job. Trusting I have not trespassed on your space too much.—l am, etc., MALE FOURTH ASSISTANT. March 1.