EDUCATION

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 46, 24 October 1913, Page 2

EDUCATION

THE AMENDMENT BILL.

TEACHERS'. .SALARIES

[Pbb Pkksb iAssofcHtwrf.J dctobfer 22. In* ho House .of ... Representatives tjiis afternoon, Mr Allen moved_thc second , reading, of: the i JSducatioii Amendment Bill. He explained that the: Bill did not contain ..the. whole of, thofGovprnment's-prQposals regarding bettering teachers^'conditions.. Nfiit year . lie hoped to bring down a .Bill further raising salaries... . The main object,of. the Billi.was to. make some provision. for an .increase-in- salaries this, .year. It was proposed to increase the annual increment from £o to £lO.. -..Two.!thousand four hundred and thir.ty-four teachers out of 4232 would be, affected by that increase, which \vould mean the expenditure of £12,000 annually.' The' minimum salaries were< raised from • £9o' ~to £IOO. , improvements would bo mado in tho .staffing this year, which would cost for tho first year. £BOOO. The total amount of the increase provided under the k Bill would be between £17,000 s and',.£lß,ooo. in,, 1914. Tho staffing would,be increased from 6B to ,88,- which would mean 136 extra teachers. Tho total, jncreaso undqr tho Bill and regulations would be £28,.0.00. . Tlio House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr T. K s ß{dey', pointed .out that at the beginning of., the .session-the Government had no intention of bringing down any amendment to the Education laws,,but the pressure of public opinion had forced; them to introduce tlio Bill now before .the House. ...Mr G. M. fljomson said that there had been, a steady rise In the graduation of teachers' t pay durjng ,i;econt years. ,He criticised .the method, in which ..teachers': salaries, were raised,.

more every year, and ho hoped that the .country would face.the extra cost, as he could not think, of a bettor investment Dealing with .physical conditions he contended that ;J if they wore going to deal with disease, especially those which attack children, 'they'must few in,...for. openair schools.

Mr D. Buddo said it was not tho function of. the State to, teach, religion, in schools, hut, it was. .the, xight of> tho State,to, teach moral precepts. Mr' H. Poland said that 'the Bill was only another instance of tinkering legislation. . It..did not, touch the friiige of. the question.

, ,Sir J... Ward said that be desired to discuss the Bill, hut was hampered by the fact*that the whole of the Government's financial proposals were tiot before the House. Without that information it was impossible to regard this as any other than a tinkering attempt to deal with a great problem. It was for the Government to initiate a comprehensive scheme for building up tho education system, which hftcl steadily improved the,con* dltion of teachers, but. under this Bill teachers would not get a minimum salary equal to many, paid on the;railways. The Minister had enprmously increased the taxation of the country. ?.Whyithen could ( not some of that, increase be given to teachers of .primary schools? The Minister, professed great sympathy • fori teachers, but, the fact; remained'that; the salaries to bq. paid to. the'* Public Service Commissioners,;the. new railway manager,' and' tho two now judges to be appointed, w.ould: come ctfetf' more than. tHe total increases to be given to tea,c!iers. • • • .•-»■"■

| .The debate was continued by JMr Fisher, who exchanged a few, gentle amenities with Sir Joseph Ward, and Mr Allen having j-eplied very briefly, the' Bill was read a third time apd the House adjourned at 1,15 a.m.