THE COLONIST PUBLISHED TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, AND SATURDAYS. NELSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1875. PAYMENT OF SCHOOL TEACHERS.

Colonist, Volume XVII, Issue 1895, 1 April 1875, Page 2

THE COLONIST

PUBLISHED TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, AND SATURDAYS. NELSON, THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1875. PAYMENT OF SCHOOL TEACHERS.

DuEiNG the past few weeks a correspond ence has been carried on in these columns respecting the payment of the common; school teachers of Nelson. Some of those who have taken up the subject wish fora higher scale of salaries, and think that if the remuneration U not considerably augmented it would be better for our teachers to "emigrate home again." Those on the. other side admit that the teachers might be better paid, but do not consider it advisable, in the present state of the funds, to raise the salaries and decrease the number of teachers, which, they contend, would be the result. _, It is a fact which cannot be gainsaid, that the Central Board of Education has by no means too much money at its disposal, btt{ with what it has it is supposed to establw ' a school in every part of the Province where there is anybody to be taught. Cons* ' quently, as tbe inhabitants of the Province . are scattered in all directions, it is necessarj that schools should be established in mafJ districts, and as every school must have oa« ' or more teachers, these teachers arenece* ' sarily numerous. If all the children wW : are now attending the common schools lujj » within a narrow compass, and could » 5 taught in three or four schoolbouses, t" ! teachers' salaries would be much higJJ ! than they are at the present time, for™ ' simple reason that fewer teachers would V required, and the Central, Board wouldJ 1 n a positionl to offer good salaries; but' t the present state of affairs, when the school r must be so scattered, and when Heps* b teachers must be engaged for each one,« ' money must be expended so as to give to 0 those who subscribe it an equal share in» r benefits, Therefore, as the Board has o? a certain sum to expend, aud aa ao ffi^ n individuals must be paid out of thissW 5- the money must be spent judiciously, j v that there may be enough to remunerate i teachers all over the Province. "WJ a&jing that the teachers should be eoaW"

with their present salaries we do not assert tbatithey are by any means too well paid, j^j/ taking all things iuto consideration, we do not think those of Nelson have ver y much cause to grumble. We are fully aware that the work of the teacher is a most important work, that it is his or her duty to watch over and train the minds and morals o f those who in future years will be the "people of New Zealand," and that just in proportion to the efficiency of the teachers j, o w, will-the educational standard of the next generation be. We know too that if ffe want efficient teachers we must offer such a rate of payment as will induce proper persons to devote their time to the work, Jut, as " A Member of the Central Board " wrote last week, by increasing the salaries n ow the Board would be compelled to close gome of the country schools, and reduce the number of teachers by that means. We shall be glad at any time to hear that the teachers' salaries have been raised, and also that the number of schools have been increased, but we are convinced that until the amount collected by means of the Education rate is considerably augmented these things cannot be done. We can only advise our friends the teachers to wait patiently and hope for better times.