THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1907. THE LOT OF THE TEACHER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8876, 9 November 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1907. THE LOT OF THE TEACHER.

It is high time "the Government took steps to abolish the illogical and unfair system of uayment of Stale school teachers in accordance with average attendances. The only bene • fit that can accrue from such a system, beyond effecting an undesirable economy, is to force teachers in the less populated districts to "round up" children, who are not as regular in their attendance as it is thought they might be; but even this advantage has its drawbacks. Parents are likely to be unduly harassed in the matter of sending their children to school, and may be coerced into doing so at times when the latter are in poor health and not fit for perhaps a long walk during inclement weather, and school duties thereafter. Then again, the teacher should not be ' forced to fill the position of whipper-in of infants. But the real defect of the system of payment by average attendances lies in its gross injustice to a class of State em - ployees who are miserably underpaid at the best. How is it possible for teachers to control attendances as a general thing? They have to take things—and pupils—as they come. Attendances are! affected by circumstances over which very often they can have no control whatever; and the teacher's position is absolutely oeplorable when, as during the summer months of this year, epidemic diseases 'ravage the country, and bring the school attendances —and salaries —down to zero. We observe that an attempt is being made by a member of the

Hawke's Bay Education Board —the j Rev. H. M. Ries, of Dannevirke—to ( secure a temporary measure of justice for the teachers. He has given notice to move—"That in view of the severe and widespread of whooping cough, measles, and influenza, which have been prevalent j throughout Hawke's Bay and the j whole dominion during the present year, and which have very seriously reduced the average attendance of many of the schools, the Board approach the Minister of Education, point out the seriousness of the position, and urgently request him to legislate with a view to deleting the average attendance for the year 1907, and substituting the average for 1906, so that the staffs and salaries for 1908 may remain the same as for I the current year." This motion should have not only the hearty approval of Mr Ries's fellow-members on the board, but the support of other boards in the dominion, whose assistance he is seeking;, and it is to be hoped that the Minister of Education will see his way to do the act of justice asked for. But what is most required is the adoption of a system of assured pay—and something more than a mere living pay—for the whole of the State school teachers, especially those who are engaged in teaching in the back-blocks and who have to put up with many hardships incomprehensible to the city teacher.