TEACHERS' SALARIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 233, 20 June 1918, Page 6

TEACHERS' SALARIES

INCREASES WANTED EDUCATION BOARD'S PROTEST Tho Wellington Education Board had Dnector of Education stating that certain increases had been authorised in the salaries of pupils teachers, probationers, and training college students, tho chairman of the board (the Hon. J. U: W. Aitken) said that the increases wore satisfactory as far as they went but tho Government had not gone far enough. Young teachers were still paid lower salaries then were received by young persons in other branches of the public services

Figures placed, before the board showed that salaries (exclusive of lodging allowances) were .payable as follows :- J!irst year: Pupil teacher. J>4H; probationer, m and .£SO; training collogc S a ? ■*, J;50; Government eadefv. .£65. on: lenrI enr pupil teacher received MO, or £Si including lodging allowance, against .£l2O paid to a fourth year Government cadet.

Members of the board stated that iho position was very unsatisfactory. The teaching profession was being handicapped severely by a scalo of salaries that tended io discourage young people from entering it. It was decided on the motion of tho chairman that the Education Department should bo (hanked for the increases, and that tho attention of ihe Direclor ot Education should be drawn to thecontinued disparity between the salaries paid to young teachers and the payments ottered to cadets in other Departments of State.

. Relerence is made to teachers'sauries in the annual report of the Iward. - 'A comparison of the returns for 1917 wirh those of 1913, the year preceding the war, states the report, "shows that the proportion Df male . teachers (including probationers) has fallen from 32.2 per cent, to 23.9 per cent, of tho whole number. Of '10 pupil teachers and probationers appointed since tho end of 1917 only three' were males, two other male applicants being rejected because they were unqualified. The present keen competition of both State Departments and commerce tends to divert from tho teaching profession tho most capable scholars as they leave our schools. Now, if it be admitted that the most precious possession of the State-its children-re-quires for their education tho services of the most richly endowed with character and brains, it becomes evident that greater inducements must be offered if a sufficient supply is to be maintained of young teachers well equipped in both body and mind. Any advance in remuneration should certainly be to a minimum not less than that of entrance to the Civil Service. This point has been stressed in previous reports. Tho matter is now of extreme urgency."