TEACHERS AND THEIR GRIEVANCES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 198, 17 May 1920, Page 3

TEACHERS AND THEIR GRIEVANCES

SALARIES iSS PSOSOKONS YIEWS OF NEW MINISTEK A deputation from tfcij Xow Zealand / Edacationai XnEtitnta waited :on tie Min- ' ister ol Eduction Ofr. Parr) -to plaio ... before Mm tie demands of tho organisa- :' tlon on a number at pointß. Host of tiv> natters mentioned had already been r represented on more than one occasion > before the previous Minister. but nut to Mr. Parr. The deputation supported Mr. Parr's soggestioua to a confcrenoe the previous "day for tho recasting of the primary education system. TJ?o moot important of tbo other matters discussed woro tho toaphe:o' request . for a National Education Board, to have eMoutiTo and advisory functions, and especially to have full control of the teaching; EtaJTa, and promotions and appointments, and.tho demand lor , a considerable increase in salaries. A number or other points of less importance were mentioned. System Needs Reoastina, The 1 Minister replying,,said that he waß pleased to see that the teachers of New Zealand were convinced that an extension of the present system of ..education was immediately necessary. It had been raid by one speaker that if we were to ' have a safo democracy in this country wo must have at once an increase in the sohool leaving age.. He believed that the 'people were.already thinking about this, , and that the community, was ahead of its leaders in this matter of the need for riuoational reform and'extension. There was a strontr demand from tlic ! i general public for a reconstruction of the fabric of our Bystem, and for a recast- : ing of . .that The 'public should ■. . look to the teachers and to him to give \ a lead inUhis matter. It would take a little time to eet things done. He would mako no hasty changes, and when lie • did make them it would be after fullest consideration, and with the. full force of Parliament and public opinion behind him. He v believed that only by extension • and improvement of our system could, we allay half of the industrial unrest in . this country. -He was sure tl;r.t move than half of the industrial unrest in the country was traceable to defective education. The boys camo' out of the schools to-day without any knowlede of economic • or social things, and they were in this condition an eiisy prey to the soap-box orator. For this reason alone we' should aim at controlling tho education of the young to a later ago than at present. Abolition of Boards He gathered that the institute considered that the present system of/administration of our system was not adequate to modern needs. The objective of tho institute was tho abolition of boards and committees and the substitution of some other method of. local control. They ' would have a central board to control apppiijtments of teachers. His own opinion was there were undoubted advantages in local influence and local control in education. Ho did'"not wish to see the \ time when education would be entirely controlled from Wellington. He had an open mind as to the form of local control suited for present, eiroumstanccs. He would no opinion on the institute scheme of reform) because his mind. was not wholly made up regarding it. , The, question might be' a very suitable one for investigation by a Parliamentary Committee. He gathered that tho teachers made a. straight-out request, for a central education board? Mr. Parkinson said that , this' was so, . and in return the teachers agreed to sub- . nit .to. oompulsory' transfers. ' ' Mr. Parr, said that now that the re-, quest had been made it would be his dutyUo go into tho question fully, with a view of arriving at the best- method of appointment for the teachers of New Zealand. With regard to tho attitude of the boards to the suggested deprivation ■of their rights,'he had been pleaßed to hear Mr. Forsyth state the othpr day that if the teachers wished it tho\boards would not object. Mr. l'arr indicated also, that he would.sea that it was no longer' possible for the boards to render nugatory the grading list by refusing to accept it as the basis for appointments-in the teaching service. f j y . Salaries, He had noted the demands for better sal- " arics for teachers. He'hado full realisation of the exacting nature of tho teachers' work, and the nervous. strain it mi volved. Every branch of the Public Service was asking for increased pay. Probably Cabinet would be considering -these demands at' an early date-, in 'wliich case'it was just as well to know what the teaohers asked; He'could not, of course, bind his colleagues, but he was at liberty to say that so far as he wub concerned ho had recognised, with the teachers' representations, and from his. own examination of the question in the past month, that the* scheme of salaries both'as to tho amount aud'-as to the ; basis.of■ payment wa? ..entirely unsatisfactory; He would oonsider very carefully the figures .given to him. If the figures given -by Mr, Parkinson werei cor.reet he had 'no reason to doubt that they would appeal to the publio and the Government as strong evidence for some- inorease in remuneration to the teachers of ' New.. Zealand. He feared that it was not sufficiently recognised that the work of the teacher was 1 , highly technical professional : work. - Ho , was strongly impressed with the necessity ■ • for meeting the requests of the profession for increased remuneration and.he had already given somo consideration to' the , problem. The Methods of Increase, He had -already cctoe to the conclusion i that no Increase of salary by a flat rate would be desirable. It would be rnoßt undesirable for the' reason that there were many teachers who held positions higher than their efficiency warranted. Owing to tho-system of appointments in the past there wore many men in the service holding appointments higher than their grading entitled them to hold. Obviously the flat rate would be: perpetuating and increasing this anomaly. He thought it - would- be hettor when he submitted their demands Cabinet ■ that he should suggest to Cabinet increases in - salary for certain grades of-■ schools, so as .to open up. a wider field for promotion, and also to raise the Btandard of instruction in Bomo of these schools.. There w<ye many men and women employed as assistants in the cities, a4id there was nothing before Oould not some of these teachers S mw l 6 smaller schools as head - ' ea cherß? This-was hot possible at present, because the : salary of a first,assistJf, wa ? about i£33o, and the headmaster™P. of a fairly large school in the ZSO pupils, w.as ,' CS3 {ban £400., Those positions would havo to be made better, and this alone wou d open up an avenue ol 300 or ,400 proino Jons right away, and at the wivi ? J emov ,° ,'be reproach often levelled at the administration that because of the wretched system of payment on average attendance.'the smaller schools did not get the best teaching ability. Ho was keen for the welfare of the small V .'I? 41 } c country, and he was aware , that with the pernicious system- of payment by average attendance these schools did. not get _ the most able teachers. He wished to place before Oablnet also some, proposals for the moving round of men* h and .women teachers which .would mean promotion for them, and also a great benefit for them and for the children attending country schools. If there wcro to be increases, in salary for certain gcadesand this would have.to bo decided by others—he would attempt .to secure an increase in salary for schools of Grado 3A, with attendance from 35 to 80, and also of Grade 38,' with attendance from SO to 120. He thought thia grade v.»s not. satis- ' factonly ofticered -at present, and he should like to inorease these salaries sub. Btanlialiy. The next grade-Grade 4, with attendance of frjyn 120 to, 250-would have to be increased in proportion, and this would provide a field for promotion for Bonior assistants; These matters were being considered by the Department and they would bo placed with the other salary proposals before Oabipet.