THE TEACHER.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13661, 1 August 1908, Page 3

THE TEACHER.

HIS WORTH AND HIS PAY. AN AUSTRALIAN APPRECIAIION. ; (Melbourne "Argus," July 21) There has just been published by the Department of Public Instruction in Sydney the address delivered by Mr. G. H. Reid at the annual opening of the Sydney" Training College. This address affords us another another striking example of Air. Reid's versatility. He is well known as a leader at the Bar; he is- even better known as a political warrior whom no foe cares to meet on a public platform. But now he appears not as a, man _of war but as a man of peace. He speaks to boys and girls about iheir life-work; about ■) education, its ideals, methods, and discipline; and he speaks as an authority. We naturally expect oratory, from ill". Reid. We could hardly imagine him giving on any subject an address which was hot delightful, to y hear. And so we are not surprised"; to find him opening up his subject with such ' an appeal as this: — "The hundreds of T millions of children on the earth to-day are. heirs rather of darkness than of light. j : The most gitfted child of the longest line of intellectual ancestory looks first upon life and light with eyes that see not and reasoning powers devoid of reasoning. The tiny limbs may belong to. a future Hercules, the spark of soul that begin to glimmer may be the beginning at a Shakespeare's genius; but the darkness of ig'norance, in the sense of no knowledge, surrounds every cradle. - For some years at least the value of time or effort or knowledge must remain' unknown—indeed, some die of old age without really knowing it. Your glorious privilege it is to help. Ithe feeble judgment', guide the wayward steps, of these little souls \ towards the larger destiuts which await them." One fee.s the golden touch in a passage like that, and there are several such passages in this address. But it is, with the matter rather; than-the manner that' we must' deal,i though "the : matfef 'of the address is so lull of good things that if is hard to pick and choose. ' The gist of Mr Read's, advice to scholars may perhaps be summed up in the saying that "knowledge is power" and neas is success." He speaks of belief in humanity and belief in Uod; he describes the ladder of knowledge, the ladder of excellence or ambition, the ladder of conduct, which all must learn to climb. But the special point in his speech that we wish to emphasise is in these words: '• The profession of teaching is surely one of the noblest. Yet it has never been honoured as it deserves. In public esteem I fear it comes a long way after 1 other learned professions. .It should really stand higher than any other secular profession in the world. . . . The teach-: tr, then, has a higher, nobler, task than the greatest of ail the world's dealers inwealth and industry. . . . How can you;; best photograph upon these young: minds the good lessons you are expected to impart? How can you best teach them, lessons of goodness and chivalry: and reverence and patriotism? There is a simple answer. You must yourselves in your own minds. and your own conduct, be . good and chivalrous, patriotdc, and reverential." Now, these words are not exaggerations. They are words of truth and The paradox they express is one of the strangest things in our Western civilisation. The highest, the most valuable, tie most. exacting of all sec'ular callings is one of the worst paid; and therefore men and women press forward into it, not because there are cornforte, honours, and prizes in front of them, but because they must. The teacher is born, not made. If a man is born with that overpowering instinct, he' simply must teach whether he be starved or re.

warded. A.Carnegie or a may organise a people s.-.industry; their services may be most valuable. But they have their "reward, and they count it in millions. An Arnold or a Hiring does far more-infinitely more, one might .almost sav—for his land and h.s people, but he dies a comparatively poor man. A.great, schoolmaster is a far more, valuable asset

to a nation than even a man of science. Yet Kelvin made his. million*" while a, schoolmaster never makes more thanks: bare competence-sometimes he hardly makes than. Surety this paradox w one; of the most extraordinary things in Hie Life cannot nourish on paradoxes. To; ensure a growing and an ultimate all thinos— including work and wages—, must be managed on harmonious and rea- : sonable principles. The community as a whole must awake to the va ue, the al- ; most inestimable value, of the .teachers, work-and they must learn to pay accord-, inelv When we realise the worth of edu-, cation, then we will wish strong.y to; draw into the work of education those, men and women who possess the highest; natures, who combine character with; wisdom and both with ability. And: then we shall put a reasonable share of, the comfort and the pr.zes of life: within reach of the teaching profession. The.pressure in this direction .may be seen in the attempts being made in feonth Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales .

towards raisufe the salaries of the .state school teachersMn our .primary schools. We wish we could see'a similar development in our private~and our public schools. This should not, be condemned as a merely mercenary way of looking at the problem The increased salary is a proof of the increased appreciation, of the increased respect. Men are always prepared to pay highly for what they value highly When education has its proper place in the minds of the people no one will grudge an- adequate reward to the scholastic profession. . In Victoria and New South Wales the average annual

cost per scholar is about £5, while the average annual emolument per ifcacher can be little over £120; m South Australia the figure are lov«.r still. is ■there anv other profession or occupation in the countay where-the consumer pays so little and gets so much.' And yet even when the salaries are raised to something like a reasonable and legitimate, name we shall still be dependent, upon things that cannot -be bought and sold. The character, the gentleness, the wisdom, the humanity, the enthusiasm, the sympathy of the teachei-tus whole example and influence, in short-these things must still be just thrown in with the bargain. We can never pay for these, and we must never always expect them. We can pay for and reward a certain amount of skill and industry, a certain amount, of ability and energy. But in the case of teachers, just as in the case of ministers of religion, the highest work tlhey do miulb always ba a g.it from them to the community. We can make salanes more reasonable and more worthy than they have ever been, bun we never recompense by a salary the work -and indicated truly-in these eloquent words of Air Reid :_;' Some of the leading qualities of mind and conduct which in will be vour duty to impress upon your pupils are, a love of. knowledge, a desire to excel; truthfulness, candour, didigence, earnestness, courtesy, patience, perseverance: good .t-mper, generosity, courage, chivalry, obedience, patiriotkm; resect for age, reverence for parents, veneration for the Creator."