TEACHERS’ SALARY.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43106, 18 June 1907, Page 4

TEACHERS’ SALARY.

The standard of payment of School teachers was referred to by the Minister of Education in his reply to a ■ Taranaki deputation. Mr Fowlds pointed out that salaries were not paid on average attendance. That merely I fixed the grade of the schools. He, could not see how a teacher could ho on- receiving an increment for every year’s service .Colonial promotion was directly contrary to the fundamental principle of local control, _ which was 1 the strong point of the educational system' 'of the colony. He had ideas of his owni with regard to possible im - provements, but then he had to convert Parliament before he could put his ideas into operation. There were two opposing questions—that of centralisation against local control. As the present scale of salaries had been adopted after exhaustive inquiries by a Royal (Commission, he thought, it would take a very strong case to bring about any alteration. The sole assistants’ status had not been brought under ’ • notice before, but he thought there was a “see-saw” attempt to improve salaries one grade complaining as soon as another got, any advantage. He was strongly in favor of reducing? the number of grades, and if they did not see him taking action in the coming session they could realise it was just a question of giving it full consideration,. He was perfectly in sympathy with any modification of the prestent scale that would secure to each section a fair remuneration.. He did not thiink the time had arrived when they could remove a teacher from one part of the colony to another. He could quite see from, the teacher’s point of view it possessed many advantages over the present system,. He would give the question | careful consideration, and if spared in his present position he would, he hoped, be able to effect some improvements at any rate.