SALARIES OF TEACHERS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1924, Page 1

SALARIES OF TEACHERS

OBJECTION TO NEAY SCALE. AYELLINGTON. Alay 20. The outstanding feature of the women teachers’ conference yesterday was the matter of the assistant teachers’ salaries, which was dealt with first by Air J. Cuugliley, Director of Education, who spent an hour explaining the reasons for the differentiation of salaries between men and women, and other points. i The matter was taken in committee, and then a suh-comniittoe presented u detailed reparL on the effect on AA’ellington teachers. The conference asked tin*. Government to withdraw the scale, by which it was estimated the teachers throughout the Dominion would lose £200,000 in live years.

By request, Air Parkinson. Secretary „f the New Zealand. Educational Institute. attended and gave the views of the executive in the matter. Air Parkinson explained that the first, idea about the new scale was that it adopted |ln* principle of lessening the frequent transfer of teachers from school to school by reducing the number of grades of assistants, but no one dreamt that this was going to be done at lit- 1 , financial expense of the individual teachers. The idea in the Department was that the proposals would lessen the changes without deduction Irom the total salaries paid. lie believed the reductions they complained of were really only done accidentally, and tly Department did not realise the died of the scheme when it was instituted. The executive had no reason whatever to anticipate a- reduction of salaries. for they were given a definite assurance by Departmental officials that the total salary payment*, would remain as in the last scheme, and that no teacher would suffer a reduction while holding the same position. If th« new scheme were carried out to the full, it must he a heavy tax outlie as.sitiinls. 1 rouestly. he did not think the Department meant to do so. and lie felt sure that there was little tear of tile proposal- being carried out, lor I liov were yet to be -übniitted to a

conference between the institute and the Department, at which the scheme would lie fully dealt with. lie could .-ay frankly that if the proposals in tie* scheme were to be enforced, it would not be too "'much to call them absolute and unscrupulous cheating, lie did not believe that there was any fear of ,thut. and perhaps the best term to apply would be “cliitii-y and ill-considered.” In reply to Alias Bark. Air I’arkinson said that the executive had upheld the principle of no differentiation in sulaiies, and had not approved of the new scheme in that respect. Indeed, they thought the scheme was only a tentative one.

Mr Bark insult further explained that the scheme lmd originated at the last education board conlerence, when the Hylton scheme was approved, but the Department did not believe in it and had not adopted it. The executive did not credit the Department’s .statement that i la* l lyloii scheme was not workable.

EDUCATION REGULA’IJONS. DEFENDED BY AIR TARIL WELLINGTON. May ’J"

The I lon (’. .7. Tarr at the Educational Conference touched on the question of 111.- regulations, about which lomplaiut had been made. -He si.id that tin* Education Department was responsible for an expenditure of JCH.oOOjrdO. and I’arlialiieiit held the Department to account, bocal bodies raised no rales and would be spending moiiev for which they had no responsibility in raising, personally lie would like details as to the so-called “tyrannical regulations,” specific instances, but lie had been unable to get them. He would not hesitate to cancel any regulation that was unfair, unreasonable or unnecessary. He proposed to review tin* regulations dealing with teachers (Hear, bear.) lie would approve of some definiteness being given to vague and general .statements. He was quite prepared to investigate any particular instances in regard to salaries. lie promised to have the .schema in operation to prevent 100 main transfers in a .school thoroughly, investigated by tli-* 'I cachet's Institute and the Denartment’s officers in a I'm ill; discussion, lie was trying In get a perfectly satisfactory scheme for salaries without in, leasing the total amount all filed by Tarliament. No teacher’s salary was to be reduced. The Minister dealt at some length with the scheme for salaries put forward l.v the institute. It bad weaknesses. le* said, which were ver' "•* vii,ll s. The Minister in conclusion offered to ret up an ind -pendent tribunal to settle the question of teachers’ salaries on a basis satisfactory to all concerned. He forecasted a closer | j*i j - ; a of senior in specters am. I the Department by bringing senior inspectors at times to AYelliuglnn t i the Department.