THE RETIRING AGE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 279, 19 August 1920, Page 4

THE RETIRING AGE

FOB SCHOOL TEACHERS. The following letter from tho secretary 6f the Education Department was read at yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Education Board:- vimd™ "A deputation waited upon the. Minister of Education recently, in order to protet against the practice o sonio education boards of terminating the engagement of dl teachers on reaching the retiring .go of 55 in the case of women, and (w. in theca«f of meii. The Department is award that under section 151 of the Education Act boards have full discretion as to whether the services of teachersi reaching tho retiring age should to owpensed *th but it was never intended that under tma section women and men whose usefii nets as teachers is not impaired ■ should I o forced out of the service. In the view of the Department and the, Minuter boards should use their oiscretion wisely in these cases, and, under the present circumstances when the fupply of elhcient teachers is limited, those only who are not capable of carrying in tleir work satisfactorily should nave t.icir ei'gagements terminated. In llio c.*o of wraen especially, many of them are capable of performing useful sen-ices after reaching the ago of 55." . The letter was received.

By Telegraph-Press Association. Dunedin, August) 18. A memorandum from the Education Department, received by tho board today. urged tho board to use discretion in dispensing with tho services of teachcrs whose capacity is unimpaired art their retiring age. The board held that, in tho interests of promotion and therefore tho contentment of 4he service, it should adhere to the present practice of retiring teachers automatically at She ages fixed. The board's point was that, if tho Department offered adequate inducement to such rotiired teachers, their services could be retained in a temporary capacity. The present position is that in such cases the salary and pension together must not exceed the salary at retirement.