NEW SCHEME

Southland Times, Issue 20792, 5 June 1929, Page 5

NEW SCHEME

TEACHERS’ SALARIES

PAYMENT ACCORDING TO EFFICIENCY

PROPOSAL UNDER CONSIDERATION

(Special to The Times). Wellington, June 4.

Teachers of New .Zealand at the present have before them a ( new scale of salaries suggested by the Education Department as a substitute for the existing scale. As far ,as has been possible, the department has based its new scheme on the principle of payment according to efficiency, although it is understood care has been exercised to ensure that the adoption of the scheme will not materially increase the education bill. Under the new scheme, it is proposed to divide assistant teachers into four classes, fourth (fair), third (very fair), second and good (first) very good to excellent (fourth) class. Teachers will commence at a salary of 180 for males and £l7O for females and will have an opportunity of rising in their class to £255 and £22o’ In the third class, the minimum salaries are £270 and £230 and the maximum £330 and £270. The minimum salaries in the second class will be £345 and £2BO and the maximum £405 and £320. The first class minimum rates are £420 and £320 and the maximum rates £4BO and £370, with the addition, of £2O and £3O for infant mistresses of grade four and grade five schools. For sole teachers and head teachers, there are five grades. (1) for schools of from 9 to 24 pupils; (2), for schools from 25 to 80; (3), for schools of from 81 to 280; (4), for schools of from 281 to 480; (5), for schools of form 481, onwards. The salaries proposed are as follows, those for female teachers being given in parentheses in each instance:—(l) from £220 (£200) to £320 (£290); (2) £340 (.£308) to £420 (£380); (3) £435 (£392) to £495 (£440); (4) £5lO (£452) to £570 (£500) ; (5) £585 ( ) to £615 ( ). The salaries of male and female teachers have been differentiated, the married allowance or house allowance having been absorbed though differently distributed. In the .salaries of male teachers in the higher years of service, where in general, a man’s responsibilities have increased, the difference Is more marked than in the earlier years. It is proposed that every teacher securing a university degree or higher certificate than Class C shall be entitled to double the increment in salary from the beginning of the year in which he was awarded the higher qualification. No teacher will be entitled automatically to an annual increment, but will require a recommendation front the inspectors.

The question whether there should be right of. appeal against the withholding of an efficiency increment will be considered by the department. In the event of the new scale being adopted, the department, states that no teacher would receive less rate of salary than he or she had been receiving up to the time of the adoption of the new scheme. On the other hand, no teacher would be entitled to an advance to the present maximum of his. particular grade. In other words, no teacher would proceed'to a salary in excess of the maximum allowed. Under the new scale, teachers who would according to the new scale be receiving ovcrscale salaries, would not. be reduced, but on the other hand would have to mark time until the new scale overtook their salary as existing at the time the change was made. The department states that the effect of the proposed scale on the strength of the staff in town and country schools respectively, may perhaps cause some concern. Undoubtedly there would tend to be a movement of more experienced, assistant teachers towards town positions, but such movement would be controlled and it should not be difficult to secure an effective distribution of the teaching staff. The department has made'it plain that it has no desire to force the new scale upon teachers, but is merely anxious to have an expression of opinion upon it. Unless the scheme meets with enthusiastic support, there is little chance of it being adopted.