A TEACHER'S GRIEVANCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2771, 15 May 1916, Page 3

A TEACHER'S GRIEVANCE

TECHNICAL SCHOOL INSTBTJCTOES. i' '■ —

Some anomadies regarding instructors at the WellMitton Technical School and their superannuation were pointed out to the Hon. J. A. Hanun (Minister of Education) by a large and representative deputation from.: the Technical bcnool Board which 'waited on the Minister on Saturday. The principal speaker was .Mr. G. Frost, the chairman, who said that at the present time it was compulsory lor-'evening class instructors, who were 'principally men engaged in colleges or ordinary, schools, to contribute to the Superannuation Fund out of the payments received by theni for instruction at tho . evening classes at the Technical School.. One objection to this Was that if their services were dispensed With or because, of. ad voicing age or illhealth, it was necessary' for them to relinquish this work,'.they, received no benefit from their contributions when they retired on superannuation, unless their .services at the Technical Collego were included in tho last three years prior to their retirement. They had no right to claim any refund of this amount, and it -was thought that this was a distinct grievance. Another point was that an I instructor might contribute 'on a very' high .rate,-as the Tesult of giving instruction to several-classes.almost every evening, and then be relieved of certain of this work, when he would be contributing on a lowers salary, and receive a superannuation allowance ■on the lower ■rate. .'...,-.

. .The question was also brought up cf refunding to the board the amount of £50 which it had failed to deduct from the salaries of instructors whom it considered were not compelled under the Act to make, such contributions.-

Mr. W. S. Xa'Trobe suggested that the difficulty could ■be got over if instructors were allowed to Teceive.benefits in proportion to the nmoants paid in. The emolument received for instruction at evening classes should be counted separately from the ordinary pay received by : teachers from colleges of . education boards.

.' The Minister, replying, stated that the matter was one requiring legislation. He would give favourable consideration :to the proposals put forward by Mr. La Trobe in the evont of .an amendment being made to the Act. It-was very unlikely, however, that such legislation could. be introduced during tho present session. The question, affected not only all instructors at'the Wellington Technical School, . but those.'; at similar institutions throughoii the Dominion. In regard to the refunding of the .€SO, ho could not ignore ■ the law, whereby, those •teachers, who were receiving salaries from the boards were compelled to contribute to.the fund. .*■ . v •' .-'