EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 94, 15 January 1919, Page 6

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE

SALARIES OF TEACHERS THE BASIS OF PAYMENT GRADING, STAFFING AND INSPECTION A motion and an amendment upon the question of teachers' salaries were before the Educational Institute when it resumed its session yesterday morning. Mr. H. A. Parkinson had on Monday evening moved: "The salaries of teachers shall be those designated in a schedule 1 tho several classes whereof shall be determined in accordance with the graded list of teachers. The minimum salary for any qualified teacher shall be £150 per annum, and the maximum £600, provided that for special services the education board may provide further -payment in addition. Persons employed as temporary teachers shall receive £135 per annum." Mr. Hunter, in amendment of tho above, had proposed the following motion: "The salaries of _ teachers shall bo those designated in a. schedule based on lengthy of efficient service, on scholastic attainment, and to some extent on special responsibility attached to certain positions occupied." As relevant to the main matters under discussion Mr. Garry drew the attention of the meeting to the following remit from tho Hawke's Bay branch: "That it is imperative that the Government review the scalo of salaries of teaohcrs in a comprehensive manner in view of tho following: The cost of living has increased 30 per cent, during the period of the war without any relief being given to the teaching profession; the lack of suitable teachers offering on account of the poor prospects in the profession compared with those of others threatens to destroy the whole, efficiency of the'service; the expressed -public opinion throughout the Dominion demands proper .recognition of the work of teachers for the State by tho payment of adequate salaries."

Mr. Garrv spoke in support of the principles laid down in the amendment, and made definite suggestions a§ to salaries to bo paid. Miss E. Simpson spnko in support of the principle of equal pay for equal work for both men and women.

Mr. A. J. C. Hall wished to see basic principles affirmed and actual figures left out of the question at present.

Mr. Penlington said that the greatest need of the profession was a large stream of recruits, and figures showed that there was no such stream. The only way to get recruits was to mako the salaries attractive. He could see in the proposals before the. meeting a hind of nromise afar, but he wanted to know whether the 'intervening land was desert. The maxima and minima of salary were .mentioned, but what was between? Service or Efficiency? Mr. dn Berry believed that the principle of enual pay for equal work was one that the institute should stand by. He supported the proposals of the executive, and d'd not fear at all that between the £150. and tbp £600 mentioned in them there would be a land of desert. A teacher should lie paid for his efficiency rather than- for his length of service. Efficiency was an inherent someth'ng that one could not get hold of. The amendment proposed a dangerously mechanical scheme, and-.it seemed to be based more upon service than upon efficiency. Mr. Hunter and his seconder, Mr. Garry, accepted an addition to their amendment suggested by Mr. Combs. The amendment then read: "The salaries of teachers shall he those designated in a schedule to bo based on length of efficient service, on scholastic attainment, and on special responsibility attached to certain positions occupied, and that the executive be instructed to draw up a schedule based on these principles." Mr. Parkinson, speaking to the amendment, took a view similar to Mr. de ' Berry's. He thought. the amendment tended to payment largely for service rather than payment for efficiency. Such a scheme of payment would not he in accordance with the objects for what the institute had long striven.

Mr. Lamb, in reviewing some of tho factors and principles spoken of in the discussion, incidentallv referred to the great importance to tho community of having teachers entirely free from financial embarrassment. He quoted Dr. Fisher as having said that a depressed and anxious teacher was a bad teacher, and ar bitter teacher was a social danger. Rightly or wrongly, and he thought rightly, teachers in New Zealand were discontented with their lot and the prospects of the future.

Mr. R. J. Foss opposed the amendment. He instanced a hypothetical case of a teacher who had twenty-five years of service under a system such as that suggested in the amendment. The teacher hi question might be receiving £460/' Of that amount, eighty, three per cent, was paid simply for service—not, necessarily for / efficient service, but perhaps for service just sufficiently good to keep the teacher from losing his position. He would vote against the amendment. Mr. Just said that, in order that the public might not get the impression that any false statements were being made by members of the institute, he would like to point out "that certain increases in salary had just recently been granted; and, further, that the Minister had after a hard fight succeeded in getting the teachers placed on the same footing _ as other branches of the public service in tho matter of the war bonus. The amendment was defeated and the motion was carried. Mr. B. N. T. Hlake proposed the following motion, which was carried unanimously without discussion: "The salary schedule shall substitute for payment on average attendance payment on the basis of efficiency, of service, of educational status, and professional and domestic responsibilities." Crading. MioS M. M'Kcnzic opened, the question of grading by proposing the following motion: "All ently employed by the education board shall be graded in accordance with their efficiency as teachers and their length of service. A graded list of teachers shall be gazetted in each year." Mr. Garry drew attention to a Hawke's Bay remit condemning "the principle under which regulations wero being continually altered without consulting any opinion of the N.Z.E.1." Mr. Endey moved an amendment of the motion that the words "a graded list of teachers shall be gazetted in ciu'h year" should he replaced_ by tho words "separate grading lists for men and women shall be gazetted in each year." .Mr. EnrW's amendment was lost- and Jfiss M'Kenzie's motion was carried. The following motion, dealing with grading appeals, was carried: "That with a view to equality of opportunity appellants from a distance lit- allowed their travelling expenses when attending the Appeal Court in support of their cases; and that appellants be notified of the result of their appeals,as soon as possible after the appeals are considered,"

Mr.' Garry was granted permission to move: "That in the opinion of the N.Z.E.I. the quota marks of the grading scheme should be abolished." The motion was carried. Staffs. Mr. 11. L. M'llroy proposed the following motion upon the question of staffs: "The staffs of all schools shall be according to a schedule to be drawn up, provided that to meet special conditions arising from local circumstances and the nature of school buildings tho education hoard shall liavc power to add to or reduce, tho staff of any particular school to such extent as it d,eems fit, provided that no class shall contain more than forty pupils, and that hi addition to the teachers provided for by schedule, probationers may he appointed in accordance witlj.- regulations." , Mr. M'llroy observed that he had in his motion made no provision for the appointment of pupil teachers. He thought all the members were agreed that pupil teachers were not desirable, under whatever name they might bo introduced. Mr. de Berry believed that the national Education Board should have at its disposal a complete staff of relieving teachers of all grades, so that in schools where the attendance was growing, or where there was a. temporarv difficulty with regard to staff, the education board could relieve the pressure and congestion by ser.ding_to the schools members of the relieving staff. The country would find plonty of work for such a staff to do. _ Mr. Parkinson believed that the pupil teacher system, properly handled, was the ideal training system for teachers. For that reason he siiggcstj ed that provision for "junior teachers,, as they were now called, be inserted in the motion. < Mr. M'llroy accepted tho suggestion, on tho understanding that tho junior teachers were not to be counted as members of the staff. He also accepted a suggestion by Mr. Rowntrec that after the words "drawn up' the words "and based on the average attendance" be inserted. Tho motion as amended was then put and carried. Teachers as Inspectors. Mr. Parkinson proposed the following motion: "The education board shall from time to time draw from the highest grade of teachers a sufficient number of teachers to provide for adequate inspection of schools, and the highest grade of teachers shall lie made large enough to allow of this being done. An allowance per annum shall be paid to teachers while employed as inspectors.' Ho considered that it would he of great value if teachers who had large staffs under them were able to gather the cre'am of the excellencies of other schools by acting for a time as .inspectors. The idea might be called a fanciful one, but he could not see any great difficulty in it. The salary he proposed for inspectors appointed as lie suggested would bo the salary of the highest class of teacher, with, say, £50 added. Mr. Combs seconded the motion.

Mr. Hall suggested that inspectors be drawn from the "highest grades," not merely "the highest grade" of teachers. First assistants might be appointed as temporary inspectors. If they were so appointed the institute might have an opportunity of seeing how its proposals that some inspectors should-be women would work put in practice. Mr. Parkinson was prepared to accept Mr. Hall's suggestion, but. he did not seo that the verbal alteration was necessary to' make Mr. Hall's scheme possible. - The alteration was finally made, and the motion was put and carried. Private Schools. Mr J. C. Webb moved and Mr. Shepherd seconded the following proposal: "That private schools re registered for purposes of compulsory attendance, and for inspection regards the general quality of the instruction, equipment, and hygienic conditions. Private schools shall not be examined, and no certificates entitling to public, privileges shall be issued to their pupils." Mr. Webb said that what they wanted to'bring about was some form of legislation'which would prevent Statepaid officers, using State-paid _time, from putting.the imprimatur of the Government's signature on the work of untrained teachers. Irom the existing state of affairs it must be concluded that the State was using its powers to foster a system that illed its own national system, wii:cli was the free, secular, and compulsory system. There should be some disadvantage under which the child {Wing tluw'li tho privato schools should suffer, otherwise the State was using its powers only to destroy what was known' as the national system. Mr.' M. Malone was opposed to the latter part of the motion, which was designed to prevent examination of pupils in private schools. The Catholic schools, ho said, were veil taught and well managed. The way to combat privato schools was to set up a national svstem better than anything else. While parents were allowed to send their children to private schools, they should not bo denied the privileges of all taxpayers. \ Mr. It. J. Fosb said that just to the extent that they wanted the national system to flourish, they wanted to sco no opposition to it. But Ihat view was taken from the standpoint, of the institute, and not of the child. What reply could members give when they heard a criticisnj that their remarks were based on tho national education' standpoint, and not the interests of the child?

Mr. A. 3. 0. Hall said tfiat under existing legislation people from the other.schools could come along and sit in tlio public schools for the proficiency examination, and no one could stop them. Tlio motion would not secure what was aimed at. He moved that tlic clause bo referred back to the executive for further consideration, tlio executivo to take what action it considered desirable. ' •

Mr. Lippiatt thought that the institute should not iirgo that the inspector he not permitted to examine cliildreii in private schools. The inspector certainly should not go there in order to give proficiency certificates, but, in the ~ discharge of his duty of ascertaining whether the children were receiving as good an education as that given by the State, he might be obliged to examine the children. Mr. do Horry said that in private schools there was.a greater lack of correlation, than there was in the present State system. Ho would go as far as not to allow the schools to be registered unless thev fulfilled almost ideal conditions. The _ institute was lircin.7 great reforms in the State svstera. and yet was allowing to grow up in the community schools and buildings far short of its ideals. T.t should insist that the schools should be well built and well ventilated, etc. It could not have the private schools issuing eertificatvS. Miss P. Mvcrs raid that the State teachers should set lh.??V owr.. house in ord.T first, and then pre.ent their demands endeavouring chiefly thn"i"h what they effected in tho_ State syster-. to overcome ally opposition to that system. 'IV amendment was then put and defeated. ■ The motion was carried.