81

1.—13 A.

F. M. RENNER.

Finally the executive wishes to make it clear that, while Schedule X stipulates that unless payments to teachers are made as set forth the governing body will have to forfeit one-quarter of all capitation grants made, it might be considered better finance by some governing bodies to forfeit one-quarter of the grants and pay lower salaries. We therefore consider that secondary teachers would be more adequately protected if the penalty for non-compliance with the regulations were made the forfeiture of half all capitation and other grants. In regard to the motions set forth below, we wish to affirm that they embody the opinion of not only the executive as a whole but of all branches of our association throughout New Zealand. The last motion, though affecting one centre only, has the support of the executive also. Motion I. —That the Minister of Education be thanked by the executive of the N.Z.S.S.A.A. for the Education Bill of 1914 in so far as it benefits the smaller secondary schools and the assistant mistresses of most secondary schools. Motion II. —That this executive regrets that no Dominion scale for secondary schools has been introduced. Motion lll. —That, while the Bill makes the teaching profession more attractive to those teachers appointed for the first time to secondary schools, it holds out no inducement for men and women to remain in the profession in that it makes no provision for the payment of senior teachers on a professional basis. Motion IV. —That, failing the introduction of a Dominion scale, the average salary paid to male teachers in secondary schools should be at least £300, and the average salary for female teachers at least £200. Motion V. —That whereas according to the present Bill the amount available for salaries is the same for girls' and boys' secondary sel Is. and whereas, as the salaries proposed may Inadequate for girls' schools where the teachers are young and unmarried, these salaries are totally inadequate to enable senior men to support their families in a manner worthy of their profession, we therefore ask that the capitation grants to the secondary boys' schools shall be materially increased, and suggest that the amount paid in salaries pel- pupil be at least £14 10s. Motion Vl. —That in order to meet the additional expense involved in motions IV and V the Government Ik- asked to amend Schedule X of the proposed Bill as follows: Subsection (b), the words "together with one-fourth" to be changed to "together with one-half"; subsection (c), the amount " £6 " be changed to " £8 " ; subsection (<■/), the amount " £9 " be changed to " £11 "; subsection (iii), the words "not less than £250 per annum" to be changed to "not less than £300 per annum"; subsection (iv), the words "not less than £175 per annum" be changed to "not less than £200 per annum "; subsection (vi), the words "shall not be less than £12 10s. per head," <fee., to " shall not be less than £14 10s. per bead." ifcc. Motion Vll. —That the Government be asked to amend the Superannuation Act so as to enable teachers to have the same privileges as Civil servants namely, lo have their retiring-allowance computed on the best three consecutive years. Motion VIII. —That in view of the fact that the Hoard of Governors of schools, where conditions affecting school and staffing approach leas' closely to those provided by Schedule X in the Education Bill, may elect to retain existing conditions and so exclude the staff's of such schools from benefits acquired by those schools where the new conditions are accepted, this association respectfully urges the Hon. the Minister of Education to amend the words in Schedule X following upon subsection (c) to read, " Provided tact the capitation payment on each free pupil shall be one-half of the rates named above, unless the following conditions are complied with." Mot ion IX. —That in the event of the Board of Governors of the Auckland Grammar School not being able to make provision during the year 1915 for the extra class-rooms necessary for the increased staffs required by the provisions of the Education Bill (clause (vii). Schedule X), the Hon. the Minister of Education be respectfully requested to take such steps as may be necessary to secure to the members of the staff of the Auckland Grammar School from Ist January, 1915, the increases in salaries to which they would be entitled under clause (vi), Schedule X. 1. Mr. Hogben.[ Do you see how you can make a Dominion scale of salaries without pooling the school reserves thi«oughout the Dominion—putting them all into one fund and distributing them equally to all schools? —I think that if a Dominion scale of salaries were introduced there should be at least some method adopted whereby the anomaly might be removed of one Board paving secondary teachers on a certain basis and another Board paying them on a different basis. 2. That is not my question. My question is. Can you get a Dominion scale without pooling? —Yes, I think so. 3. One Board has considerable endowments, and another Board has none. How would you enable them to pay salaries on the same Dominion scale?—l think that the Government ought to come to the aid of such Boards. If they want to pay salaries on a definite Dominion scale I think it would be a fair thing to ask the Government to so increase the funds of that Board as to enable it to pay on a Dominion scale. 4. Is not that the same thing as pooling the reserves? If you make up the deficiency is not (bat the same thing?— Not quite. Ido not see that it is the same. By "pooling the reserves" I take it you mean lumping the whole lot together and dividing the total sum of money by the number of Boards. 5. Supposing we take Mr. Mahan's figure—£ls per head— as that required for secondary education. Supposing one Board has an endowment amounting to £10 per pupil, and it has 200 pupils; it then has £2,000 to start with. The other Board, wo will say, has nothing to start with. The amount required for 200 pupils is £3,000. Would you give the one Board £1.000 and the other the whole £3,000?-Yes.

11—I. 13a.