TEACHERS’ SALARIES

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1929, Page 7

TEACHERS’ SALARIES

HEAD MASTER’S CLAIMS SYMPATHETIC HEARING. WELLINGTON, June 29. A deputation from the Head Masters’ Association of New Zealand waited on the Minister of Education (the Hon H. Atmore) to-day to urge a substantial increase in the maximum salary obtainable in the primary service. Mr F. L. Combs, president of the New Zealand -Educational Institute, who introduced the deputation, said .hat his association was in hearty accord with the head masters in their request. The principal point raised by the deputation was that head masters oi primary schools should receive salaries more closely approximating those received by the principals of technical and secondary schools. Mr W. H. Swinbourne, who was the spokesman on behalf of the head masters. said that, under the present salary scale, there was no recognition of the added responsibility, in the very large schools, where the additiona pupils and staff warranted an increase commensurate with the added burden. “We respectfully urge the following on behalf of our association,” said Mr Swinbourne. “First, because the senior headmasters have been actually and relatively underpaid over a font period (the last increase to meet tm cost of living was given in 1920), ar immediate increase in the salaries o. grades six and seven head masters such increase to be retrospective tv February Ist. in acknowledgement ol .lie disabilities they have laboured un der during the whole of the post-wa; 'period, t/ur association asks for ai increase ot £SO in the present maxi mum. Secondly, some recognition oi the extra work and responsibility in voived in the management of schools Oi ;ver six hundred. An increase of £ per sub-grade is asked for as a fait and reasonable amount, over ani above the maximum set forth above. Thirdly, a single scale of salaried covering all teachers, whether primary secondary oi 4 technical, to he brough into operation in conjunction with tin re-organisation of the educational sys .em. The arresting disparity in thi salaries paid to the heads in the var ions branches, of the teaching servic is, in our opinion, a matter of great moment. We consider the calibre oi the personnel of the teaching servici a matter of paramount importance, and especially the calibre of the mei who control the larger primary schools. In schools of grades vsix and seven ar< about 85 099 pupils, or 45 per cent of the total; in schools of grade fou: and upwards, controlled entirely b men, are 125,000 pupils, or about 6c per cent, of the total. In the band' of these men lies the power- and responsibility of moulding the citizen: of the future in their most plastic per iod, of guiding and training the members of their staffs and new entrants t< the profess on, and of maintaining tb the general standard of > efficiency ii the schools; while from their rank are recruited the members of the in spectorate, who in turn do much t< determine the educational ideal. A long and laborious climb lip the lad der of promotion, with an ultimat' maximum of £585, is not calculated + < attract and retain the type of men tin primary service needs. We are ap prehensive lest the prizes in the ser vice and. so meogre as to result in ouj most promising young men using tin profession as a stepping-stone to otho more lucrative walks or of avoidin' - the nrimary service altogether in viev of the mono attractive pay in othe’ branches. We, therefore, advocate r unified service and a unified salar.' scale, based on the principle that v f one branch of th,e technical service car he said to be on a higher plane, esti mated in terms of . national service than anv other.” Rfeplving to the deputation, the Min ister said that it would he idle to sav mat the deputation had lmt made o’“ a case. He was not satisfied with the Position, and it would have to he a’ tered. Whether the position could h r a’tiered this year, in view of the do ncit, he was not in a position to say. He would have to consult his colleagues on this point. Tie agreed with tin •omplaint made that there was undue disparity between the salaries of head teachers of grade six and seven schools and the principals of secondan md technical schools. He was glad tnat the association was in accord with his views in regard to unification of educational control. Unless there war unification they could.not have a truh national system of education. The present disparity between the salar ies of head masters of grade six am 1 seven schools and those of iiead masters of technical and secondary schools was an absurdity, and it- would he remedied as soon as possible. The Minister po : nted out that unification f '< the education system was most important. It was an undeserved slur on the primary school head masters tun* such a disparity existed between their salaries and those of the principals of secondary and technical s Tir.ols. and they could rely upon him that the ond‘ ion would be altered as soon as possible.