THE NEW SCALE OF TEACHERS’ SALARIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6491, 16 December 1881, Page 6

THE NEW SCALE OF TEACHERS’ SALARIES.

The following statement has been drawn up by the Secretary to the Board of Education, and was read at a recent meeting of that body : ) Education Office, Nov. 28,1881. The Chairman of the Board of Education.

Sir, —I hare the honour to offer the following observations with reference to a meeting of Chairmen and members of School Committees, held on Thursday last, to consider the new scale of salaries, as reported in the Lyttelton Times and Press. The meeting seemed not very accurately informed upon the subject before it j the Chairman, in particular, in bis opening speech, fell into many mistakes. He began by representing that, in Otago, B 7 per cent of the Board’s income is paid to teachers, and in Canterbury only 46 per cent j so that Dunedin paid 12 percent more to the teachers than North Canterbury. But, in reckoning the income, be included the buildings’ grants, the sums specially allowed by Government for scholarships, inspection, and training, grants to public libraries, and miscellaneous receipts, such as from sales of school sites, deposits on contracts, Ac , all of which it is manifestly absurd to take into account as though available for* teachers’ salaries. A true comparison can be drawn only by taking that part of the Board’s receipts which can be applied to the maintenance of schools, viz., the capitation allowance and the payment by School Commissioners. These for the year 1880 amounted in North Canterbury to £43,818, of which the Board paid to teachers £38,186, or 87 per oentt and in Otago to £67,157, of whioh the expenditure on salaries was £52,066, or 91 per cant. Thus the balance in favour of Otago was not 12 per cent, but only 4>. And even of this the greatest pert exists on paper only, for it happened last year that a considerable payment was made to the Board on Deo, 31 on account of the month of January. The amount, of course, formed no real part of the Board’s income for 1880, though, as a matter of book-keeping, it had to be credited among the receipts of that year. If this sum u omitted, the percentage expended in salaries will be 90.

Mr Watson proceeded to enquire whet the North Canterbury Board doea with the per* oontage eared from salaries, and mentioned os one item that £413 per annum ia paid to the Drill Instructor, vhue the expenditure in Otago for similar purposes is only £lB 10s. The whole amount expended on the Drill In* specter’e department last year, os stated in detail in the Board’s report, was £4O? 9s fid, the reductions made a year ago bring it to about £350. The expenditure in Otago, at the reduced rates, is returned by the Otago Board, not at £lßlos, as represented by Mr Watson, but £lOl IBs. It must bo remem* bered that the Otago Board also maintains a drawing department, the net cost of which in ISBO was £762, Mr Watson further states that the education reserves used to be managed by the Board’s Secretary, but that the Board now employe a separate officer, to whom it paye £6OO a year. Here again he is most completely mistaken. The roierres passed out of the Board's possession early in 1878, since which time it has had nothing whatever to do with them. By the Education Besoms Act, 1877, they were vested in School Commissioners, who have (he entire management of them, and who appoint nod pay their own officer#. The net revenue is paid to the Board, but upon every such pay* moot a corresponding sum is deducted by Government from the capitation allowance, so (hat practically they go in support of the general vote for education. The fact i«,first, that more than three years ago the Board ceased to have any connection with the resorvetj secondly, that if (be School Commissioners were to dispense with the present steward, the Board would not gain a farthing, but there would simply be so much the lets to be supplied for educational purposes from the consolidated fund.

Much stress was laid on the amount spent in 1880 on plans and supervision. The sum appears large i bat a considerable portion of it represents an extraordinary outlay for a special purpose, which will not be required

agtiß. The expenditure far 1881 will proDftU? isol utiid i&gii Mr Walton, in common with all the speakers at the meeting, omitted to refer to otio Important item— the allowances to Committees. The expenditure under this head is much larger in Canterbury than Otago. In 1880 there were 161 Board schools in Otago, and only ISI in North Canterbury, yet the amount distributed among Committees by the North Canterbury Board out of the capitation grant (in addition to tho emu granted by Government) exoetded tho corresponding amount in Otago by £866. The regulations, 100, are much more stringent in Otago, In Canterbury tho Committees are expected to do only " small repairs," but in Otago they are held responsible for " all neocssary repairs on school building, promisee, furniture, and fences," end for "improving the furniture, appliances and grounds of tho school," the Board declaring that it" cannot undertake to makefany further allowances for the above purposes." For tho current year tho difference In the rales of payment will be much greater, as the Otago Board reduced tho Committees' allowance* by SO per cent, while tho North Canterbury Board wae content with 10. For example, the East Christchurch Committee, if paid on the Otago scale, would have received for the year (reckoning each school • separately), about £320, whereas their receipts from this Board are £485. Tho West Christchurch Committee would have received in Otago £164 t as it is, they got £3OB. To tho question—What Is done with surplus percentage f the answer evidently is, it is given to the Committee* for incidental expenses. It is worth remarking, that according to a comparitive return given in the last report of the Minister of Education, the expenditure for tho maintenance of schools—exclusive of office expenses, inspection and buildings, but including grants to Committees—amounted in Otago to £4 Os 2Jd per head of the average attendance, and in North Canterbury to £4 le 7id.

Admitting that salaries run higher in OUgo thanln Canterbury, it is not the feet, as stated by one speaker, that Canterbury teachers hare infinitely more work. On the contrary, they must hare lest, because the number of teachers employed is relatively larger. A master in OjUigo is left unassisted till the average turns CO, up to 40 he has not even a sewing mistress. In Canterbury, a mistress is allowed for an average of 35. In Otago, with an average of from CO to 76, the master is assisted only by a pupil teacher j in Canterbury he hat a mistress to help him, and at 71 is allowed a pupil teacher at well. In Otago the master and mistress work the school without farther help till the average reaches 110} in Canterbury an average of 110 entitles a school to a master, mistress, and two pupil teachers. The adoption of the Otago scale would necessitate the removal of 38 female teachers from country schools 5 of which vacancies SI would not be filled up at all, and the other 17 filled up by pupil teachers. In short It is, and has for a long time been, the practice in Canterbury to allow the schools a much greater amount of teaching power than is provided in Otago. There seems a common, but erroneous impression, that the new scale makes a general reduction in salaries—especially, it is said, in country schools. The cose is otherwise. The reductions ware mode last year, by the notion of Parliament; for the amount then deducted from the Board’s ordinary income (about 12 per cent), has not been restored. If Government were to re* place this amount, the Board would be able to make a corresponding increase in the rate of salaries; but, so long as 12 per cent is deducted from the Board’s income, it most continue the 10 per cent reduction or an equivalent. What the new scale does, is to distribute the reduction on a different principle. Instead of taking off 10 per cent oil round, as was done at first, it takes some* what loss from masters whose salaries ore under £2OO, and more from the larger sala* ries. The aggregate expenditure, under the present scale, exceeds the aggregate under the previous one (less 10 per cent) by between £3OO and £4OO. Some teachers, appointed under the scale in 1873 to schools with an average just over 40, may find themselves reduced, because the old scale mods no difference between a school of 40 and one of 80, whereas the present scale is graduated throughout. But, with such exceptions, there is no master of a country school, whose salary has been diminished, or, indeed, has has not been slightly increased, by the introduction of the now scale. Two special complaints mode by speakers at the meeting, apart from the main question, may deserve notice. A representative of the West Christohnroh Committee stated that a deputation which wotted on the Board re* specting the new scale hod been dismissed with a snubbing. What really happened is that, as through pressure of other business the representations mode by the deputation could not be considered at that meeting, the Board suggested that, to ensure no point raised by the Committee being overlooked, it would be well to have them pat in writing. The deputation assented, but the Committee declined to submit any such written state* mont, on the ground that it would involve too much labour. Secondly, a member of the East Christchurch Committee complained that the Board had lowered the status of the mistress of their main school. This is quite a mistake. The relative status and salaries of the three principal teachers have not been altered, but remain as they were when the school was first opened, in the time of Mr Loughrey, We Hill, and Miss Bolton.-I have, &0., J. V, Coibobnh Vast, Secretory.