PAY FOR TEACHERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3953, 8 June 1929, Page 3

PAY FOR TEACHERS.

A NEW SCALE. EFFICIENCY THE TEST. NO INCREASE IN COST. The teachers of New Zealand at present haiye before them a new pcale of salaries, suggested toy the Education Department as a substitute for the existing scale. It is no secret that the teachers have been dissatisfied with the present scale for a very considerable time, and the New Zealand Educational Institute (has lost no opportunity of impressing upon the Department the desirability of a change. As far as has been possible, the Department has based its new scheme on. the principle of payment according to efficiency, although it is understood care has been exercised to ensure that the adoption of the s'ehqmie will not materially increase the Education Bill. Under the new scheme it is proposed to divide assistant teachers into four classes —fourth (fair), third (very fair), second (good), first (very good to excellent). Fourth class teachers will commence at a salary of £IBO for males and £l7O for females, and will have an opportunity of (l’ising in their class to £255 and £220. In the third class the minimum salaries are £270 and £230, and the maximum £330 and £270. The minimum salaries in the second class will be £345 and £2BO, and the maximum £405 and £320. The first-'elass minimum rates are £420 and £320, and the maximum rates £4BO and £370, with the addition of £2O and £3O for infant mistresses of grade 4 and grade 5 schools. For sole teachers and head teachers there are five grades —(1) for Schools of from 9to 24 pupils; (2) for schools from 25 to 80; (3) for schools of f|rom 81 to 280; (4) for schools of from 281 to 480; (5) for Schools of from 481 onwards. The salaries proposed are as follows (those for female teachers being given in parenthesis in each instance); (1), from £220 (£200) to £320 (£290); (2), £340 (£308), to £420 (380); (3), £435 (£392), to £495 (£440); (4), £5lO (£452), to £570 (£500); (5), £585 (—), to £615 (—). MARRIAGE RESPONSIBILITIES. The salaries of male and female teachers have been differentiated, the married allowance or house allowance having been absorbed, though differently distributed, in the salaries of the male- teachers. In the higher years of service where in general a man’s responsibilities (have increased, the difference is more marked than in the earlier years.

It is proposed that every teacher securing a university degree or a higher certificate than class C shall be entitled to a double increment in salary from the beginning of the year in which he was awarded the higher qualification. No teacher will be entitled automatically to an annual increment, but will require a recommendation from the inspectors. The question of whether there should be right of appeal against the withholding of an efficiency increment will be considered by the Department. Under the scheme it would he possible for an assistant teacher of good ability to reach the maximum salary, without leaving the school in which lie was first placed, hut at the same time he would be liable to be transferred elsewhere, as the Department considers that power to transfer assistant teachers from one school to another is an essential feature of the scheme.

In the event of the new scale being adopted, the Department points out, no teacher would receive a less rate of salary than he or she had been receiving up to the time of the adoption of the. new schejme. On the other hand, no teacher would he entitled to advance to the present maximum of his particular grade. In other words, no teacher would proceed to a salary in excess of the maximum allowed under the new scale. Teachers who would, according to the new scale, he receiving overscale salaries, would not be reduced, but on the other hand would have to manic time until the new scale took their salary as existing at the time the change was made. By this means there would be a gradual transition from the old system to the new. The transition from the old to the new scale would involve a certain amount of additional expense as it would he necessary to carry over a certain number of teachers at a higher maximum salary than that provided for in the new scale. TOWN AND COUNTRY. The Department states that the eilect of the proposed scale on the strength of staff in town and country schools respectively may perhaps cause some concern. Undoubtedly there would tend to be a movement of the more experienced assistant teachers towards town positions, but such movement would he controlled, and it should not be difficult to secure an effective distribution of the teaching staff, it is stated. All assistant teachers could, for he required in rotation to hold positions in the country for a definite period, but as the number of town 'positions last years was 2236 as compared with 1189 .country positions, it is evident that a certain number of teachers of long experience would have to ibe allowed to remain in town positions. As .the country positions differ very greatly in attractiveness it may he necessary to continue paying remote allowance to compensate teachers for the discomforts they experience in very remote parts of the country. This 'remote allowance would not, ax-

ce.pt in special cases, he carried forward 'by the teacher into the town positions, hut there might be cases where, on account of special excellence of work done in remote districts, the feachejrs should be rewarded toy being allowed to retain the remote allowance until, at all events, such time as the scale overtook (the total salary received in the. country position.

The Department has made it plain that it has no desire to force the new scale upon the teachers, but is merely anxious to have an expression of opinion upon it. Unless the scheme meets with enthusiastic support, there is little chance of its (being adopted.