THE TEACHER'S REWARD

By F. R. HURLSTONE-JONES*

It is sometimes forgotten that the future supply of teachers depends not only on the wishes of the would-be entrants, but also on the opinions of the entrants' parents, who will have to support the recruits during the period of training, and who will look with critical eyes at " the net advantages " of the occupation. Since for many Years past practically all the candidates for the teaching profession have come from the grant-aided secondary schools, the staffs in these schools have had a long experience of the views of pupils and parents on the relative merits of different types of employment.

It is curious that the authors of the McNair Report seem so ,trangely unaware of the amount of work that has been done by devoted men and women teachers, with the assistance of officials of the Ministry of Labour, in giving vocational guidance to the boys and girls in secondary schools. Teaching has received as much attention as other careers and the issue of the careers pamphlet on this profession was rapidly sold out. It should also be pointed out it is not the 19,000—as stated in the McNair Report—who stay at school till 18 years of age who constitute the total field of poten- tial recruits, but the 54,000 boys and girls who pass the school certifi- cate examination every year.

It is disquieting, therefore, to note that all the four Secondary Associations are of the opinion that unless the rewards suggested in the Burnham proposals for additional qualifications above the basic minimum and for work of special value or high responsibility are increased sufficient encouragement will not be forthcoming to evoke an adequate supply of qualified and suitable men and women. Both candidates and parents will doubt whether the extra emolu- * Mr. Hurlstone-Jones is Joint Honorary Secretary of the Incorporated Association of Headmasters. meats offered are an adequate recompense for the extra expense incurred and for the postponement of the commencement of earning.

Under the proposals in question, the national basic scale for a qualified assistant teacher, who has successfully completed two years of professional training is:—

Men : £30o by annual increments of £15 to £525 Women: £270 If £12 to £420

Compared with the pre-war scale of the bulk of the certificated teachers in the Elementary Schools—those in the Scale 3 areas— the new scale means an increase of 66 per cent. on the minimum and 43 per cent. on the maximum. It must be remembered, however, that during the war the cost of living has risen by about 40 per cent. While the suggested scale certainly does not satisfy all hopes, and perpetuates the differences between the scales of salary of men and women, it indicates a welcome improvement in the wholly inadequate remuneration of the bulk of the profession. The in- creased mobility within the profession and the removal of the injustices as between similarly qualified teachers serving in different areas are some of the obvious advantages of a national basic scale. In view of the urgent need of recruits it was probably politic to increase the ratio of the minimum to the maximum from 5o per cent. to 57 per cent. Whether as a long.range policy this is desirable is a point on which there may be some difference of opinion.

For additional qualifications the extra payments are : For teachers

who have spent three years in approved study and/or tra;ning, one increment added to the minimum, for those who have so spent four years, two increments. These additions shall be continued throughout the teacher's career and carried beyond the maximum. A degree also confers benefits. For graduate assistant teachers there shall be added to the minimum £15 (men) and £12 (women), and to the maximum £30 (men) and £24 (women). This graduate allowance is, however, to be merged in any extra payment for a post of special responsibility, services of special wine, etc.

Thus a man who has spent four years at a university—three for the

degree course and one for post-graduate training—would be on a scale of £345 by increments of £15 to £585, and a woman with similar qualifications on a scale of £306 by increments of £12 to £468. Compared with pre-war scales for graduates this represents an increase of 38.6 per cent. on the minimum and 21.9 per cent. on the maximum in the case of men, and 35.5 and 21.9 respectively in the case of women. For graduates with a three years approved course, i.e., the normal length of a degree course, the scales are £330 by Lts to £570 (men), and £294 by £12 to £456 (women). Why a woman who has pursued the same course and passed the same examinations should receive a smaller addition than a man is not clear to upholders of equity.

Will these suggested scales -attract sufficient men and women of high qualifications to maintain the standard of education in the existing secondary schools and—as is essential—increase their num- ber in the other types of schools? The four Secondary Associations —judging from their long experience—are unanimously of the opinion that the answer is " No." In this connexion, it is interest- ing to compare the cases of two men who left school at 18 years of age with the intention pf becoming teachers. A did the ordinary 2-year course. B spent three years over his degree course and a further year of post-graduate training. jf they both retire at 6o years of age, B will, in his whole working life have earned £990 more than A, will have paid £46 los. od. more in superannuation contributions, will have received £39 more in his lump sum and will draw a pension larger by £14 us. 6d. per annum than that enjoyed by A. So much, or so little, reward does the higher training SWUM.

In the past the high proportion of graduates on the staffs of the secondary schools has been the main cause of the high standard of attainment reached by the pupils, and it has been very influential in stimulating recruitment to the universities. For many the " ear- marked " grants for intending teachers were the only avenues of approach, and doubting parents could be shown the advantages 1,f graduation. Will the Burnham proposals make the same appeal and will they be sufficient to offset the attractions of other and more lucrative occupations for graduates? This is a question which vitally

concerns the universities—particularly the newer ones—since se' many of their students were intending teachers.

The suggestion in the Burnham proposals for additional payments of £50 to 4100 per annum for men, and £40 to £80 per annum for women, to teachers who are holding posts of special responsibility in, or rendering services of special value to, the schools, and that the number of these posts shall be 15 per cent. of the number of qualified teachers in the service of the authority, is a welcome advance on the previous practice of some authorities. (In special cases, e.g., second masters, senior masters, etc., the additional payment may be higher still.) Unfortunately, there has been introduced here a " merger " clause which is difficult to defend and which diminishes still further the inducement to graduation. Supposing, for example, that the choice for a post of special responsibility, which carries with it an extra payment of £5o per annum, lies between a non-graduate and a graduate on the staff of a school, both of whom are at the maxi- mum of the scale, if it be given to the former he will receive his maximum £525 plus £50 = £575 a year. Should, however, the latter, whose salary is 4525+ £30 (graduate allowance), be chosen, he will only be paid £20 extra, since the graduate allowance is "merged," and will receive 4525+ 430+ 420=4575. Under this clause the graduate who is appointed to a headship also loses his graduate allowance. It is little wonder that protest has been made against this inequitable arrangement.

W:11 the doubting parent when he is considering further financial sacrifices be more impressed by a higher fixed scale, or a lower scale and the remote possibility of one of these appointments?