Teachers’ Salaries.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 115, 2 March 1901, Page 4

Teachers’ Salaries.

Wellington, February 27. The schedule of teachers’ salaries drawn up by the Education Department was again under discussion by the Wellington Education Board to-day. Mr Hogg, M.H.R., moved: “ That the Board is of opinion that the disturbance of its regulations by increasing certain salaries is likely to produce disorganisation rind heartburnings, and must obviously fail to remove the necessity for substantial retrenchment,”

An amendment was put forward : “ That the Board request the Department to call a conference of Education Boards for the purpose of considering departmental proposals.” The amendment was carried. Mr Robert Lee, Chief Inspector,

stated that the Secretary for Education had told him that the Department did not intend to divulge its scheme for a colonial scale of salaries until a conference had been held. Mr Hogben had told him (Lee) enough, however, to convince him that the scheme as a whole is likely to prove a satisfactory one. It would mean an increase of 8 per cent, for each teacher in the colony, or a total increase in the expenditure by the Government of £28,000. Members of the Board doubted , the correctness of Mr Lee’s information, and especially that statement that pupil teachers were to be particularly considered. Mr Lee reported, that as an expert he considered Mr Hogben’s scheme a good one. The scale was on a basis of the number of pupils in attendance, but it also recognised grades of teaching that the Wellington Board did not recognise.

Napier, February 27. At the meeting of the Education Board a letter from the Department declined to state the basis on which the vote for the increase of salaries was allocated. Mr Westail, an ex-teacher, said apparently it was based on the academical degrees held as those with high degrees generally held the best appointments, and their already good salaries were largely increased, while underpaid teachers in small schools got next to nothing. The Chairman, Dr Sidney, said that w’ould not account for all the anomalies as in one school of fiftynine pupils, the master had his salary increased to a higher figure than one with sixty-nine pupi.V„ though both held identical qualifications.

The Board gave up the puzzle but decided to protest.