THE TEACHERS' LOT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1835, 22 August 1913, Page 4

THE TEACHERS' LOT.

MINISTERIAL GUARANTEE. THE BASIS OF SALARIES. After consultation . with the. executive of the Now Zealand Educational Institute, the Minister for Education, the Hon. Jas. Allen, has given a guarantee which it is expected will Ouivo tlio effect of suspending for tho present ,tho agitation on the part of tho teachers for t'he improvement of their lot.

Tho Minister last evening informed, a Dominion reporter that'for this year he would givo a guarantee that no teachers' salaries would bo afi'ected by the provisions of tlio Education Act, that teachers' salaries should bo regulated in accordance with tlio averago attendance of pupils. This, ho said, would prevail till tho Education Act, itself could bo thoroiiigMy overhauled, which was a task sot apart ioT next session. Ho has also promised to consider the question, when revising the Act, of replacing the "average attendance" system with something better. The Minister stated that ho had been told that this concession, in addition to the other improvements promised for this year in tho Budget, had been officially accepted bv the' executive of the Educational Institute as satisfactory in -the meantime. , The concessions promised in the Financial Statement were that from January 1 next the yearly increments in the several grades would' bo raised from .£5 to ,£10; that better provision would be made for soma of the staffs of tlie training colleges, and for the secondary assistants in district liigli schools. Thoso are temporary measures. The full text of the- report' of the Education Commission- is now receiving consideraton at tho hands cf the Education Committee. .1, Ono of tho questions of improving the teaolior's lot hangs uipon tho conditions of tho Superannuation Act. It .is the desire of tllio profession tlint superannuation should bo based upon the salary paid m the three best years, and not upon tho three last veavs of the teacher's career. Tho difficulty in granting this is that it opens up the whole question of superannuation, not of teachers alone, but of the wholo Service. It has, to be pointed ou.t -that if this concession were granted, and the basis of tho three best years accepted, then teachers, who, after reaching their zenith, were obliged to accept smaller positions with smaller remunerations, would still have' to bo prepared to contribute to the fund on the basis of their three best years. It is understood that tho Educational Institute is agreeable to ccccpt the concession on this basis. An actuarial examination will have to be made of tho scheme on this basis', but the Minister has it under consideration, and it is felt to 1m possible that an amandin" -\ct mav be introduced on this basis w'hich will includo all civil servants as well as teachers. . . . •Vnotlier suggestion irhich has boon mauo mil is receiving consideration, ainis pal-, ticularly nt improving the lot of the country teacher. The proposal is that Grade lA-tEachers from JCOO to <£10;>-s hould be abolished so far as all solo teachers are concerned. With town and country teachers on tho same basis, the town gets the best mon. If that grade wero abolished •country teaohors. would havo a benefit ot dCIO a year. -