THE TEACHER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8492, 22 July 1907, Page 7

THE TEACHER.

NO. 111. SUPERANNUATION. (By a Teacher.) probably much too early to write definitely about this subject, as it has not yet had a fair trial. There are, however, a faw weak points in the superannuation scheme which may be referred to. The basis of computation are voluntary retirement at 60 years 3 months, or compulsory retirement at 65 years, in the matter of length of service; an annual retirement allowance of 1-120 of all salaries received during all the years of his service before the commencement of this Act, together with 1-60 of the total salary paid during all the years of his contribution to the fund, "provided further that the total annual allowance payable to an original member shall in no case he less than the sum of £52," in the matter of a teacher's recompense for that service. First, or original contributors, are those teachers who on the Superannuation Act becoming operative, declared their adherence to it, and thete are the only ones who may enjoy the full benefits of New Zealand's magnificent provisions for her teachers, ail others falling in wita the provisions at any future time: (2) "if he dees not he shall not at any future time become a contributor to the fund or participate in its benefits, except on payment of such sum, computed in the manner prescribed by regulations, and on such conditions as the Board, having due regard to the interest of the fund determines." (Superannuation Act Amendment Act, 1906). The rate cf contrioutions is here below given.:—s per cent, if the teacher's age is not more than 30 years; 6 percent, if the teacher's age is not more than 35 years; 7 per cent, if the teacher's age is not more than 40 years; 8 per cent, if the teacher's age is not more than 45 years; 9 per cent, if the teacher's age is no t more than 50 years; 10 per cent, if the teacher's age exceeds more than 50 years. Then there is also a proviso that no one is to be pensioned, unless-he has served at least for five years under an Education Department. Now, let us see, how this superannuation pans out. Take the case of a teacher whose average earnings for 25 years have been £144 per annum—a very rare case indeed—he would receive as retiring allowance £3O. If he continued for five years longer from January Ist, 1907, an additional £l2 wculd be his annual dole by the computations of the Act—total £42. But the Act provides that no pensiongshall be less than £52 per annum, and the happy dominee therefore retires, after thirty years' service, on the splendid allowance of £52 from a grateful country. "But then," the public may say, "he can get a billet of some kind to increase his small but assured income by pension." No! not- in the way of tuition. The Act debars him from the only way in which, at his age, he is able to earn something more. He has done with education! How far sweepers of schools and charwomen may become participants in the provisions of this Act may be seen from remarks passed by members of the South Canterbury Education Board, when they discussed the fact that a janitor of a high school there had been granted a pension °of £52 for five years' service, as much almost as the secretary of that Educational district received after a quarter of a century's zealous labour. The Act, such as it is, meant for teachers, is evidently elastic enough to take in the dustman and office boy of an Education Board, if there be influence enough to push their claims. It is no matter of wonder that so many of our young teachers look coldly upon superannuation and refuse to subscribe to its alluring enticements. Let us hope that before long the teacher's retiring allowance - will be put on the same footing as that of "a railway official, a policeman or a Civil Servant." (To be continued.)