8.—6

8

was twenty-six. In addition to the staff of full-time teachers a number of parttime teachers for special subjects are employed. Regulations made under the Education Amendment Act, 1920, prescribe the number and grade of full-time assistants to be employed in schools of various grades. The head teacher of a district high school generally takes some part in the secondary instruction, and now receives in addition to his ordinary salary the sum of £30 per annum if the average attendance of the secondary department does not exceed sixty, and £50 per annum if it does exceed that number. In 1920 there were in the secondary departments of district high schools HO.special secondary assistants —thirty-six men and seventy-four women —there being two more men and three more women than in the previous year. Salaries and Status of Secondary-school Teachers. (Table K 3.) Under the provisions of the Education Amendment Act of 1920 regulations have been made prescribing definitely the salaries of secondary-school teachers, which are now paid by the Government. jjThe range of salaries payable is as follows : Principals—Men, £600 to £900 ; women, £440 to £680. AssistantsMen, £200 to £540 ; women, £175 to £410. In addition, a married Principal receives house allowance of £60 if a residence is not provided, a head of a department may receive £30, and a married assistant receives £40 per annum. The salaries of Principals are graded according to the size of the school, and the salaries of assistants according to their classification. As a result of the introduction of the new scale, the total annual rate of salaries as payable in December, 1920, was £152,992, as compared with £126,694 in the previous year —an increase of 21 per cent. The cost of salaries per head of the average attendance at this rate is £17-8, as compared with £14-8 in 1919. The following figures indicate the average rates of salary prevailing in 1914, 1919, and 1920 :— ' Average Salaries of Full-time Teachers in Secondary Schools. , 1914. , , 1919. , , 1920. i M. F. All M. F. All. M. F. All. £ £ £ £££ £££ Principals .. ..524 397 482 647 509 596 711 548 647 Assistants .. ..248 163 211 332 252 290 389 289 340 The value of residences, house allowance, and the value of board and residence, when provided, are excluded, from the above figures. A substantial increase in the figures for 1920 compared with those of the previous year is noted, and compared with the salaries of 1914 the following percentage increases have taken place : Male Principals, 35 ; female Principals, 38 ; male assistants, 57 ; female assistants, 77. The averages given include the salaries of teachers who are neither graduates nor hold, teachers' certificates ; if only teachers so qualified were included the figures would be higher. Of 187 male assistants the salaries of forty-four are between £200 and £300, of sixty-two are between £300 and £400, of fifty-two are between £400 and £500, and of twenty-nine are over £500 ; of 180 women assistants the salaries of 121 are between £200 and £300, of fifty-six are between £300 and £400, and of three are between £400 and £500. In the secondary departments of district high schools salaries are paid in accordance with a general scale. The average salaries paid, to secondary assistants in 1919 and 1920 were as follows : — 1919. 1920. £ £ Male assistants .. .. .. .. .. .. 298 341 Female assistants ~ .. .. .. .. . . 268 304 All secondary assistants .. .. .. .. .. 278 316 The total annual rate of salaries paid to teachers.in secondary departments of district high schools, including the special payments to head teachers, was £36,430, as against £30,550 in 1919. There was a large increase in this figure in 1919, and the further substantial increase in. 1920 is due to regulations of that year again raising the grades of salaries.