SECONDARY EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 820, 18 May 1910, Page 7

SECONDARY EDUCATION.

ASSISTANT TEACHERS CONFER. The annual conference of the Secondary school Assistants' Association was hold at the Wellington JJoys' College yesterday, the president, Mr. E. W. Andrews, 01 i\apier, in the chair. There were present the following delegates:— .Miss Wallace and Mis.s Morrison (Auckland), Miss Gilford (Wanganui), Messrs. j1 aho n and Turner (Auckland), Watson (Wanganui), Martyn, Pope, Kenner, GifHeine, Caradus, and Smithson (Wellington), Andrews, Philips, M'Rae, aud Short (Napier), and Fill (Gore). The .annual report of the Executive Committee referred to the resignation of the secretary, Air. Kudman (who had taken up an appointment as head of the Thames High School), uud the subsequent services rendered to the association by Air. Ueine, who hail taken over Mr. llwlinan's duties. Favourable consideration had ulso been promised by the Authorities to several matters—superannuation, etc.—arising out of the previous confcrence, aud presented by deputations from the committee. The balance-shect showed a. credit balance of Xll Gs. 4d. There were sixty ! paid-up members. The committee had obtained reports from fifteen colleges, so that a return could be obtained for the guidaneo of the association on matters! in connection with superannuation. Tho 1 most noticeable points in the return showed that according to the salaries of 112 teachers, female assistants were wretchedly paid, and that male assistants seemed to have little chance of reaching the retiring agb. Only thrke won) between the agea of 51 and 60, and only one was, over sixty. What bad bccomo of the! rest? The-report was adopted. The confercnce resolved to request, secondary school authorities to advertise vacancies in at least one newspaper m each of the four centres. # ; It was also resolved that the Minister for Education be approached witK a view i to extending to secondary school teachers the advantages of tho Court of Appeal Act. A motion was brought forward by Mr. 'Gifford (Auckland) that the associations headquarters be moveable. This was discussed at length, together with an amendment that tho executive be moveable, but that at least one member of th© board b& a resident in Wellington, and that the annual meetings be held in Wellington. . . It was ultimately decided to adhere to the original method of locating the association's headquarters in Wellington. Upon the motion of Mr. Pope, it was deoided to bring under the notice of the Minister for Education an anomaly in j the wording of tho'Superannuation Act,! which prevented a teacher in service be- I fore the passing of the Act from coming under its provisions unless ho bo ap-1 pointed to a now position. : Mr. Mahon moved that the association i endeavour to secure amendments in the Act embodying the principle that secondary school teachers te entitled to retire nt tho age of 55, or upon completing thirty years' service, and that the pension be computed upon, tho highest salary earned during any three consecutive years, instead of tho salary-received during the last throe years of his service. Tho motion: was adopted. Jt was resolved: "That in 'the opinion of this associa-J tion the amount per head 'available for secondary education in New Zealand is insufficient to pay . adequate salaries for the work done or to encourage the best teachers to take, up secondary education as a career in life." The following officers were elected for the ensuing year'.—President, Mr. H. I. D. Mahon (Auckland); vice-president, Miss C. Henderson; secretary and treasurer. Mr. A. Heine (Wellington); committee, Messrs. A. C. Gifford (Wellington). E. W. Andrews (Napier), and H. Alexander (Dunedin); auditor. Mr. J. C. Pope.