ECONOMY PROPOSALS

Southland Times, Issue 21662, 26 March 1932, Page 7

ECONOMY PROPOSALS

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

TEACHERS 1 VIEWS.

Reference to the Government’s economy proposals in relation to the Education' Department was made at the annual meeting of the Southland branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute on Thursday when the acting-president, Mr H. L. Brown, delivered a paper on the subject.

Mr Brown said it was their desire to place the views of the teachers before the outside public and to air their views on the matter.

“It is not my intention to-day to utter 1 platitudes concerning disregarded contracts between us as teachers and the Government,” he said. "We realize along with other intelligent sections of the comniun- , ity that in the process of economic reconstruction now taking place there is an apparent need for sacrifice. "Times must have changed without a ' doubt since nowadays we hear on every hand criticism of our fortunate lot. It seems but a few years, but very few in , fact, since the teacher was regarded as a I poor though respectable member of the i community. As recently as two years after the war male certificated teachers were drawing salaries as low as £l3 per month, I while unskilled labour was being rewarded by that amount for a fortnight’s work. So unattractive were conditions in the teaching service at that time that only the third rate brains among manhood of this country were being attracted to the ' teaching profession. That this was a fact was amply demonstrated by the number of uncertificated teachers who occupied quite good positions until five or six years i ago. The incentive towards improvement } of academic status was lacking. “In normal times the economic law of I supply and demand operates among teach- ; era as freely as in any other walk in life. I If we are to attract the best that the ■ community has to offer then conditions 1 and remuneration must, be attractive. Will the people of a progressive country like New Zealand be content with anything but the best, when selecting the entrants to this , important profession.

“There are thousands of men in the countries of the world to-day who can justly say that their lives were warped through arriving at manhood during the period of the Great War. Is another generation to grow up in this country who will be able justly to say that their chances of living successfully were spoiled through the false economy of the legislators at a vital period of their lives. Not a Speculative Calling. “Our calling is not a speculative one. By that I mean we cannot by any amount, of effort on our part increase our earnings except within well defined limits. The whole fabric of any education system can rest securely only on the solid foundation of a contented group of workers. If the members of that group are harassed by financial worries their work deteriorates, for what occupation, I ask, calls for an undivided mind as much as ours does?

“We have all seen some account of the economies proposed in our department. Who has recommended these economies? A commission. Doubtless you have observed the tendency these days to push distasteful work off on to others. These commissioners can not be held to account by the electors for their actions. I have heard this Economy Commission described as consisting of hard-headed business men. Now it’s quite an everyday occurrence to hear that certain successful men owe nothing to the advantages of a college education. However, we as teachers know that in a civilized community all share in its social inheritance and that no success can be claimed as the result of single-handed effort. “The greatest obstacle the advocates of expenditure on education have to surmount

is the fact that this particular department cannot show a credit balance stated in terms of £ s d. Nevertheless national advancement depends primarily on the care that is devoted to the training of the youth of the community. Many instances could be quoted to illustrate the strides of progress countries had made through their adoption of sound educational systems. Labour and Rewards. ‘‘Enthusiasm among the members of the teaching profession may spell success in their work, but enthusiasm alone will not buy the necessaries of life nor provide the means of acquiring improved academic status. To return to these hard headed business men. I might say that they are not in business for the fun of it. If the rewards for their labours were not commensurate with the energies they devoted to their work they would soon to fresh fields and pastures new. "Is education worth while? Is progress worth while? If not why bother about it? We could, I suppose, revert to the peasant life. We could grow most of our food and barter a portion of the surplus for clothing. Even clothing could be of the very simplest. The aesthetic tastes of the people could be allowed to die a natural death.

“Nothing in life is static. There is dynamic force which urges mankind forward. It is thus with business and education is business. Any business man will tell ou that if a business is not progressing it is slipping back. Education suffers a like fate and if we are to attract men and women of the right calibre to that work then the conditions of work and remuneration must be attractive. Are classes to be allowed to increase in size or are they to be reduced to a reasonable size? Classes unworkably large give a poor return for invested effort on the part of the teacher. Effort on the part of the teacher costs money and consequently the return for invested money is a poor one. This is only one phase of the effect of false economy and time does not permit my traversing that, huge field of economies recommended ” Mr Brown was heartily thanked for his address.