REARING PUBLIC SERVANTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 2, 27 September 1917, Page 4

REARING PUBLIC SERVANTS

A MATTliii which deserves more ati tention than it seems to have been given hitherto by the Government i came up at the meeting of the Wellington Education Board yesterday. [ Two teachers who had qualified for I superannuation forwarded their roI signations, and the board, after discussion, decided to nrgo them to continue in harness, at any rate for the war period. An immediate ob-: stacle to this course in all cases whore retiring teachers are concerned is raised by a regulation enforced by the Education Department in regard to pay. According to statements made at yesterday's meeting teachers who postpone retirement are penalised financially since they are not allowed to draw more, with superannuation, than their original salaries. This penalty on patriotism certainly ought to be removed forthwith. Presumably it is as a result rather of neglect and oversight than of set intention that it has been imposed, for in other Departments Government servants who undertake relioving duty after retiring are allowed to draw superannuation while earning the ruling rate of. pay. It is grossly uniust {hat any other conditions should be ftiposed on teachers. Tho Government ought to look fully into tho question of retaining for 1 the period of the war tho services of efficient officers who in the ordinary; waywould retire on superannuation. A number of recent reports regarding the retirement of departmental'officers, somo of them highly.placed, seem to suggest that no systematic, effort is being made to this end. This neglect, to say tho least, is unwise. In his annual report the Minister of Education .laid particular emphasis on tho fact that the enlistment of teaohers and other members of tho educational staffs has seriously affected the public schools and hindered the progress of necessary reforms. In the hallways Department also, and in various other fields of State enterprise, tlic shortage of trained and skilled workers' resulting from war demands is making itself severely felt. In these circumstances it is tho manifest duty of the Government to make- tho .fullest possible use of officers who have completed, thenordinary term of service, incsc officers are, of courso, entitled to alt possible consideration. . They have earned leisure and repose by long and faithful service, and,.any further call'made upon them must do on a purely voluntary basis. But there'is.no doubt that in general they would respond freely to an apneal'to extend their working careers in order to assist in tiding their country over a periocl of unexampled difficulty. The treatment accorded to teachers is a somewhat striking proof that the Government has not yet realised the wisdom-and necessity of making such an appeal.