THE SCALE OF JUSTICE. An End to Sweating.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 84, 8 February 1902, Page 8

THE SCALE OF JUSTICE. An End to Sweating.

HOLIDAYS may have something ro do with the sudden happiness, increased vigour, and bi lghtness of the teachers m the Wellington Educational District The publication of the colonial scale of salaries, however, is perhaps the chief cause of joy to the teachers who have hitherto been the victims of a system now happily dead Sweating is over, and the levelhng-up process affords cause for lively satisfaction to those who have been levelled lip, and should be received philosophically by those who have been slightly levelled down # * * As a result of the new colonial scale, the under - paid teachers of this district, are allowed to be woith anything up to 150 per cent more than under the old system What does this say for the system under which the Board has worked and the teachers ha\e been go\erned, 111 the past ? It shows that a large peicentage of the teachers who benefit by the colonial scale aie females, who, apparently on that account alone, were kept at the educational grindstone, and expected to do the same work as their male equals in degree, for half, and 111 some cases less than half, the money * * * The system that so sinned against all the tenets of equality for male and female wanted a strong hand to root it out The strong hand which has lightened the female teacher's burden, and made her pocket heavier, is that of Mr Seddon, and for his successful efforts to kill the sweating system, as hitherto applied to teacheis he may be deemed a benefactor * * * That New Zealand teachers have under the old regime, been at the financial mercy of Boaids is certain and that their former lot at anything down to half the rates of the new scale must have been particularly wretched all will agree. The introduction of the colonial scale means less of the pitiful intriguing for big billets It means the curtailment of the power of autocratic and unbusinesslike Boards, and it means new vigour in matters educational • • • Who shall say that the gnl who receives ,£147 m place of her former £105 is not a better, brighter and keenei preceptor than before ? The humdrum and weary occupation of cramming haid facts into unicceptive little heads is neither so humdrum or so wearying when the crammer is paid a living wage for doing it. ♦ * * The pcison who, during the diurnal chudge of instructing the young idea, is cogitating ways and means of making £12 keep her decently, and pay her board, is infinitely better qualified to cheerfully instruct the coming race on £80 per annum, and she should be deeply grateful that she has not the fearsome Board to thank for the disparity Little Nellie Newtown, or small Peter Poneke, probably have not seen a list of the

colonial inci eases, and will surely wondei at the increased cheerfulness of their teachers and their own more lapid advancement. * * • Xow that teachers feel that justice is being done to them, the probabilities aie that they will strive to do moie justice to their pupils The results of education m New Zealand have always been fairly satisfactory. The good matenal to hand has possibly been the chief reason With the same matenal, and the incentive of a nist salaiy to help, the education of the youth of this colony shouVl progress by leaps and bounds.