TEACHERS’ SALARIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2160, 16 August 1907, Page 1

TEACHERS’ SALARIES.

MR. BARTON MAKES VIGOROUS SPEECH AT NAPIER. At the Hawke’s Bay Board’s meeting at Napier on Monday Mr. Darton addressed the Board as follows on the

subject of salaries: —I think you will agree that the essential factor of a good education system is an efficient staff, and, to ascertain what is the best method of obtaining and keeping that staff, is my reason for bringing forward my present motion. It is needless for mo to go fully into the system adopted at present. Payment of salaries on “average attendance” is, to every fair thinking person, unfair to the teachers, because “average attendance” is affected by circumstances over which the teachers have no control, and for which they should not he called upon to suffer. The extra work entailed on them by had attendance is quite enough without making them suffer by a reduction in salary. At present there is only one factor governing a teacher’s salary, viz., “size of school.” The number ol large schools is very limited—there

re only 130 schools in the colony pay

mg a salary of £250 (o the head teacher, and, as there are 2500 teachers, their hope of promotion is very small indeed. There are nil an average only sof such schools vacant in a year. It therefore must take several lifetimes before they can reach their goal. With such a small chalice of promo-

Lion, one cannot wonder that teachers neglect to improve their certificates, ft is a surprise to me that so many of our capable teachers stop in the service that offers so little inducement ior them to improve themselves. Compare the salaries paid to men of equal or even of loss, ability in private employment, and you will find that the teachers suffer by the comparison. To my mind, no system call be considered efficient unless it provides for periodical increments for (1) teaching proficiency, (2) scholastic attainments, (3) length of sendee, (4) size of school. At present, the last

factor is the only one which governs a teacher’s salary'. It docs not mat-

ter bow proficient a teacher may be. what certificate or length of service lie may have, unless be gels a

larger school lie cannot get ail increase of salary. It is needless for 'tin; to point out. that this is the onlybranch of the service that is paid on such conditions. Fancy reducing the salary of the Commissioner of Crown bands because the cash land sales fell off in any one or two years, or reducing the salary of the Public Trustee because the annual death-rate fell below the average 1 And yet it. is just as feasible as reducing a. teacher’s salary because the attendance comes

down. However, the department is not blind to this fact, for they have not hampered their pot offspring, “the native schools,” with such conditions. But where our present system is rotten is in the fact that we are not getting the best work out of our teachers. His duty is not merely to teach the “rule of three,” but his true function is to mould the character of those under his caro and turn them out into the world better men and women—to do what in many cases the parents cannot do, however much they may wish to. But to do this wo must have tho best men and women available, so that by their example and diligence this object can he obtained, and to got" the best we must offer some better inducement than wo are doing at present. Several views have been propounded by Teachers’ Institutes and Education Boards in other parts of the colony for remedying the present conditions, hut so far no definite action has been taken, for the department will always shelter itself behind the fact that the teachers themselves have not agreed on a definite scheme. I do not propose, Mr. Chairman, to propound such a. scheme —that is the work of experts, not of an amateur—and in bringing under the notice of the department the present unsatisfactory and unfair method of payment of teachers’ salaries, I

would move, “That the Minister of Education be asked to hold a conference of representatives of (1) the Education Department (2) the Teachers’ Institute of New Zealand, (3) the School Inspectors, and (4) Education Beards for tho purpose of drawing up a better system of the promotion and payment of teachers on tho lines indicated.” The motion was seconded by Mr. Morgan, and carried without discussion. It was decided to forward copies of the resolution to all Education Boards n the colony.