PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 97, 18 January 1919, Page 8

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TEACHERS

Sir, —In your report of the meeting of the N.Z.1C.1. occurs the following; "Mr. Parkinson observed that often it would be very advantageous to the cause of education if certain primary teachers could' be moved into the secondary sphere or secondary teachers .into the primary sphere." I should like to aSk Mr. Parkinson how this would affect their salaries. The average secondary teacher gets about £200 or £250; the average primary teacher, with the necessary qualifications for secondary work, gets about £100 more. (Grade 5,, under the new schedule, goes up to-a maximum of £300 for a married man.) Would tho primary teacher be willing' to accopt the lower salary for the higher class of work, which also entails, I might add, much more .out-of-school work? Can anybody explain to mo why primary teachers are paid higher salaries than secondary teachers? The only explanation I can give is that the former aro organised and tho. latter arc not. Primary teachers have agitated for increased Salaries, and have got them; they sire "now asking for further increases, winch they will probably get. Meanwhile secondary teachers are dissatisfied,. but do no thine.—l am, etc.. . g . GRADUATE. ' January 16.