THE PAY OF INFANT MISTRESSES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 244, 9 July 1919, Page 8

THE PAY OF INFANT MISTRESSES

Sir,—l see in your issue of July i tliat it is to" be advocated at the next'ieMchers' Institute meeting in Wellington that infant mistresses receive pay euuul to that of first assistants. It seems to mo that tho extent and importance- of treir duties are sometimes over-estimated. An. infant mistress in the highest, grade of school invariably has qualified assistants to do the bulk of the actual teaching ' while she euDsrintciids and organises, and her school duties occupy-only four hours of her day.. Her position is a responsible and an'important one, without a doubt, but is it as much so as that of a first assistant? He has charge of Standard VI, and upon his tuitiou mainly depends the success of proficiency candidates. His actual teaching hours are one hour a day longer than those of an infant teacher.' As a general rule he has to take an active interest in afterschool games witli the senior toys, coach pupil teachers after school hours at least once a week, spend on an average not less than one hour per evening each week jm-wing lesfons and cc.rrectin.s" work and be prepared at any time of. emergency to have temporary charge of the school.

Those who know our schools will not. I think, claim that-the infant mistresses are the most .capable .women teachers in them, but they are certainly , , the b°st; paid.;. Many of our most able and hiphlyqunlifird lady teachers prefer standard and high-school work, aiid in iiieir own, branches are doing just as arduous :ii>d important work as the infant niislTCsses. Yet they are not s» highly paid, nor do they get the high quota mark i:i the grading echonie. So if anything is to ba done for t.he women teachers it.should be in the interests of the he-ads of. girls* departments or of the secondary n.i*. treses.

The whole matter, however, is <nly a part of the larger question that it is the teacher and not the position that salary should be attached to. It seems to uie to be an unfortunate thing that all positions in our schools, including those of head teacher and head of infant department, should not be open lo cither sex. There are a limited number of women teachers who, on account cf their energy and exceptional ■ general. ability nr< , well qualified to take charge of a bi? school; and some men, as is oft.-u proved in the cases of men in sole . (hnrge schools, are well qualified, for' infant work. Certainly if bring an "old woman , '' is i>. recommendation in an infant mistress, some head teachers even are easily "in the running."—l an , , etc., . . . .RUSTIC. July 5, 1919.