SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 290, 3 September 1919, Page 3

SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

ANNUAL ASSOCIATION

.MEETING

Tho sixth annual -meeting of members of tho Secondary Schools Assistants' -Association of Now Zealand was held in tho Wellington Boys' College AVcst School yesterday. In the absence of the president (Mr. T. livodie) on activo service, Mr.P. E. Campbell (Dunedin). was elected chairman. . The report nnd balance-sheSt, particulars of which have been published.-were adopted. , On the motion of Mr. V. M. Rentier, -a resolution of condolence with the rolutives of fallen ay.dicrs was carried in silence. . ■

Mr. ■Campbell said, that people wero generally realising now that the work of the secondary schools was worthy of greater consideration than it had received in the past, and he was pleased to bo able to state thnt the educational nuthorities were beginning to'realise .that conditions of status and pay were in need of alteration. He was nol aware what effect tho split in the National Government would have, but'he understood that tho Minister of Education had dmwn up a scheme which would probaHy givo satisfaction to secondary school assistants. Reforring to the work of the Council of Education, Mr. Campbell remarked that on more than one occasion ideas ■which had been brought out by members of the council had been "collared"' by xfiieers of tho Education Department, and no credit given to the council, which, he could assure delegates, was doing very genuine work as an advisory body.

Mr. P. 31. Benner was re-elected hon. Beeretary and treasurer.

The following resolutions were carried

"In view of the fact that in order to prepare thmnselvFS for tlieir work, teachers arq obliged to undergo a long and expensive course of instruction and training—especially in the case of secondary school teachers—it be urged that salaries bo further materially increased to such •a , degree that they are brought into line with those of the hisher officers in tho. Public Service and the more lucrative professions." . "In view of the fact that married assistants in primarv teaching are in. receipt of married'allowance, this meeting urges that tlio same privileges be extended to the married teachers in secondary- Rchoolg." '! ' Mr. H. liobson (Marlborongh) moved: "That, in any scale of ealariee drawn up for secondary assistants, the pay ofnion and women , should be equal forenual. ■work, or for equal' qu.iCifications, whichever forma the basis for such eoale; but marriod malo assistants should receive. In addition to tneir salaries, an ade.qiiato house allowance." " '

Mr. A. C. Clifford suggested that the final words of the.motion should be amended to rend "in addition to their salaries, an allowance proportional to the number of their dependants." .

Mr. T. E. Crosswell (Senior Inspector of Secondary Schools) said he was afraid thnt the Department still Hooked on the matter as one of sunplv and demand. Greater inducements'had to be held out to men than to women, and, consequent; ly, the Department offered higher salaries to men. There was little likelihood that the Department would lend ite help to bring out the proposed reform at the present time, and ha considered that it .■would be -a tactical blunder to present a divided. froi\t. : After a long discussion Mr. Gifford'e amendment was carriqd, ;as .was also the following further amendment, moved by Mr. B. H. Biggnr:— married assistants should receive, in addition to their salaries, an adequate allowance proportional to the number of their dependants; for the purposes of this clause, married teachers shallbe the same as kid dovrn in the regulations for primary schools in Education Act of Mi."

'Die following remit was also passed.— "That all teachers ehould receive extra remuneration for drill carried on out of school hours, where such drill is regarded ns part of the school ourriculum." Tlio conferenc& reaffirmed resolutions passed by tlio Council of Education regarding the payment of superannuation as..computed on -.the- three., best yean; of service, and also in respect' of payment of work done outside school hours. Tho delegates expressed their appreciation of tlio work of the council in these regards.

It was resolved: "That every endeavour be made by the association to include the ordinary university course of' four years for thu degrees of B.A. or B.Sc., or M.A. or M.fic, in the years that count o* years of service for. pensions." Mr. Reriner brought nnder the notion of tlie conference- the case of a woman teacher, who, it was represented, 'had been treated unfairly, in the matter of fln increase'of salary hv tlie Pannovirke iTiEfh School Board, nnd a resolution was passed expressing the fnllwt sympathy wit'' her. and instructing the secreiirv to forward a reanme of the casi\ irith •die enn&rtaining ! thereto, to tlio Minister of Education.

The flection of offers'i-esnHcd as irfloivg:—President, Mr. P. vioe-PTPsitlent. Mif L. Bin? (Christflnu'rhl; executive, Messrs. p. JT. flnmp. Ml mnWin). A.' K Oiffrml nV«Hi"'"tnn). R. Or.-I,m-Ti R (Chrfetchnreli). KM. ]?ockfl (Nw Plymouth); hon. auditor,, Mr. W; iAlPXnnder.'