A. J. G. HALL.]

1.—13 a.

Alfred Joseph Charles Hall, Normal School, Auckland, examined. (No. 29.) 1. The Acting-Chairman (Mr. Sfatham).] Are you representing a body of teachers? —I am representing the Auckland Assistant Masters' Association. 1 have to convey messages from the association congratulating the Minister and the House on the Bill which has been introduced, and which is now under the consideration of the Committee. Under the Bill the increases given to male assistants are lower than those given to headmasters and first female assistants. The following table which we have prepared will lie of value as showing the comparisons : — Salaries, Scale 1. n , MIOB Scale. Bill. Increase. v First assistant masters: — waae. £ £ PerCcnt. Ao ' 321-400 .. .. .. VcandD 240 250 4-1 (7) 401-450 .. .. .. .. Vla 240 280 16-6 (5) 451-500 .. .. .. ..Vlb 270 280 3-7 (1) 501-600 .. .. .. .. VllAandß 270 310 14-8 (4) Over 600 .. .. .. .. VIIc, &c. 290 310 6-9 (19) Second assistant masters :— 321-400 .. .. .. .. Vcandi) 180 220 22-2 401-450 .. .. .. ..Vla 180 220 22-2 451-500 .. .. .. .. VIbJ 210 220 4-8 501-600 .. .. .. .. VllAandß 210 250 19-0 Over 600 .. .. .. .. VIIc, &c. 240 250 4-1 Headmasters :-— 321-400 .. .. .. ..VcandD 340 360 5-8 401-450 .. .. .. Vlaj 340 400 17-6 451-500 .. .. .. ..Vlb 370 400 8-1 501-600 .. .. .. .. VllAandß 370 440 18-9 Over 600 .. .. .. .. VIIc, &c. 400 440 10-0 First female assistant: — 321-400 .. .. .. .. VcandD 150 220 46-6 401-450 .. .. .. ..Vla 150 220 46-6 451-500 .. .. .. .. Vlb] 180 220 22-2 501-600 .. .. .. .. VlLvandß 180 250 38-8 Over 600 .. .. .. .. VIIc, &c. 210 250 19-0 The increase provided under the Bill is not equal to the increase in the cost of living since 1908 (see report "of the Cost of Living Commission). I was not able to obtain a copy of that increased cost, but I have here a letter from Dr. Mcllwraith, who gives the increase in Australia at 30 per cent. Now, if the cost of living in New Zealand has been increased from 18 per cent, to 20 per cent., and the increase in salaries of the. first assistant masters —the men who have the large families —was only 69 per cent., then I think we are not fairly treated, especially when the lady assistants, who have not families, are given 106 per cent, increase. We do not begrudge them the money. They earn every penny of it, but we earn a great deal more than we get —at least, we think so. More encouragement should be given to men to enter the profession by providing more liberal salaries. If you look at the graph which I hand in it will be seen that B, at the top, excludes pupil-teachers, students, and probationers. It deals with adult teachers only. Beginning with the year 1877, when the Education Act was first passed, we find that there were nearly 500 females and 650 males in the profession. That state of affairs continued until 1894. At that stage the females caught up to the males, and the increase went on until in 1912, the last available figures that we have, there were 1,550 males and 2,550 females in the profession. Graph A refers to adults, pupil-teachers, students in training since 1903, and probationers since 1909, when the probationer system was brought into vogue. Under this heading they started fairly well together in 1§77. The women were about 150 behind the men. but in one year they had more than caught up on the men, and in 1912 there were 3,400 women and 1,775 men, almost double the number. Still further information regarding that is obtained from the confidential circular my association sent to members of Parliament : " 'Ihat, it being essential that our teaching profession should be composed of both men and women, it is of national importance that the very best of our young men and women should be induced to enter the profession." At present this condition is not being fulfilled, as the following figures will indicate : In 1912 there were in training at the training colleges in Auckland. Wellington. Christchurch, and Dunedin 113 males and 285 females, while serving as pupil-teachers under .the various Education Boards of the Dominion were 162 males and 476 females. That proves conclusively that we are not getting into the profession nearly enough men, and if the work is to be done properly, and if we are to cater for both sides, girls and boys alike, and if we are to avoid the feminizing of our boys, of which the American authorities speak so bitterly, we must do something to render the profession more attractive to men. I can quote here from a circular received some time ago that in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Omaha, West Virginia, and South Carolina male teachers average 5 per cent, of the total, and that in the case of sixty towns there are no men teachers at all. Similar conditions prevail in the majority of Canadian towns. A member of my association has just returned from Canada. He took a letter from the Auckland Education Board asking permission for him to inspect the schools of Canada, and he reports that in some of the schools in large towns of that Dominion there are no male teachers. The boys were all of an effeminate type and played no football, a little baseball, and no cricket; and the discipline in American schools, to say the least of it, was not always creditable.

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