EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 97, 18 January 1919, Page 4

EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK

THE WOMAN TEACHER. (By Vox.) ' ; t Following on the meeting of the N.Z.E.I. and certain points discussed there regarding the status and salaries of women teachers,, it is interesting to read in the current number of "The Englishwoman" an article by Emily Phipps, telling of a departmental committee which was appointed ; to inquire into the conditions on which tho salaries of teachers in secondary schools in England was based. A part of the finding of this committee is that sex must be a determining factor in fixing salary scales. Of course the fact that out of twenty-one commissioners only five were women, and that of one hundred and nine witnesses examined only thirty-one were women, would account for this decision. Only from a committee made up of equal numbers of men and women, would it be possible to get a decision at once unbiased and judicial. This condition applies equally to education committees here in Now Zealand as elsewhere. There are as many girls to be handled as there are boys. Then add the fact that from the commencement of school' attendance up to the age of at least sevenyears, the teaching of boys and girls alike is entirely in the hands of women. No one will dispute the fact that women nro especially adapted -for the training .of the very young. Indeed, it is very doubtful that any male student would ever wish to qualify for tin's branch— this most important branch of education. Therefore no average man. brings the same interest to bear upon the study of infant teaching. But the woman who specialises in it has still to undergo a' certain academic training that fits-her,to, teach older children. "Ergo", thoinfant mistress is capable of teaching the upper classes, but the upper class master is soldom, if ever capable of teaching tho .infants. Tho usual argument in favour of sex basis for payment is that a man marries and brings up a family. Well, the logical answer to ,that is "pay him the extra money when he incurs these responsibilities, ami .only as long as they exist." But why a bachelor or a widower with no dependants should have an extra salary on tho off chance that ho may incur responsibilities is hard to see. If we are. to payment for family responsibilities over and above payment tor work done, lot us at least bo sure that the'responsibility exists. According to'our New Zealand law a man gets a rebate on his income tax for children and other depondants, ho does'not get the rebate, on the chance that, he may some daV have . children or other dependants! There is reahV no other lotrical reason for paying a man more than a woman for doing the same work. But the first step towards equal pay for equal work—with extra pay for family responsibilities—will be equal representation ou all committees and boards dealing with education; and this is where women as a whole come in. They should make it their business, as it is their duty, to see that such inequalities as at present exist, are done away •with. ,ono is anxiously watching to see if (when the Bill authorising women to sit in Parliament is passed!) women parliamentarians will be asked to accept a lower honorarium than that enjoyed by. men.