TEACHERS' SALARIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13368, 19 August 1907, Page 7

TEACHERS' SALARIES.

A FRIENDLY BOARD

At the meeting of tlie Hawke.'s Bay Education Board last week, Mr -barton brought on [v one factor governing a teacher s salaries by moving uie lolio»ing motion : "That the Minister of Education be asked' to hold a conference of representatives tlj of the Education Department, (ii) Teachers. Institute, (3) School Inspector, and . (4) Education Boards, for the purpose ol drawing up a better system oi promotion and payment' of teacliers. Speaking to tho motion, Mr Darton said an esisential factor, of a good education sy.siem was an efficient sLalf, and to ascertain the best method of obtaining and keeping that staff was tho reason lor bringing lorward his mcaon. Payment of salaries on the average attendance was, he asserted, most uniair. '1 lie extra work entailed on teachs;:i by bad attendance was enough without making them suffer in salary. At pre~.nt there wa.s only on.( factor governing a t.acher's salary, namely, the size of tne school. The number of large schools wai; very- limited, 'ihere wer.j only 130 schools in the colony paying a salary of ij'AoJ to the headteacirer, and iis there are 2500 teachers, the hope of promotion was very small indeed. It way surprising, that so many capable teachers stopped in the service that oL'.-red ucj little inducements for them to improve themselve.- 1 . Comparing the salaries paid to men of equal or less ability in private employment- the teacheis suffered by comparison. ilr Darton believed no system could be considered suificient unle.i; it provided periodical increments for (1) teachlng proficiency, (2) scholastic attainments, (3) length of service, and (4) size of .school. At- present the li:-t factor is the only one which gave teachers salaries. It does not matter how proficient a teacher may be or what certificate or length of service ho may hold, unl-.ij.s- he gets a larger school he cannot get an increase of salary. It v.'.'o needkss) to point out that this was tliej only branch of the service paid on such conditions. Fancy reducing the salary of the Commissioner of Crown Lands because the cash land sales fell off every one or two yean;, or reducing the salary of the l'ub.ic Trustee because the annual death rate fell below the average, and yet it- wa« just as feasible as reducing the teacher's: salary b;cau.-. ; e the attendance conns down. However, the Department wtrs not blind to this fact, for they had not yet hampered their pet offspring, Native schools, with such conditions; but where the pivenfc -system was rotten was the fact that th'ey were not getting the b.st work out of the teaelnr. His duty was not merely to tcacli the rule of tlnee, but his true function was to mould the character of i:io:--3' under his care. But they must have the best men and women available-, and to get tliem inriit offer some inducement than at present Several scheme'- Ii t l b.;n propounded for remedying the matter, bat so tar i:o action had b.en tak.-n, for the Department would always shelter themselves behind the fact that the teacheio wire not i-gried on a d.-finite scheme. llie motion was seconded by Mr Morgan

and cairied. It was a!i?o decided, on Mr Morgan's motion, that the various Boards lie written to asking their support for a conference upon the proposed increase of teachers' salaries.