Fix this text
Education
Fix this textPAST PRESENT FUTURE
Fix this textJournal of the N.S.W. Teachers’ Federation
Fix this textJ
Fix this textRegistered at the General Post Office, Sydney, for transmission by post as a newspaper.
Fix this textVol. 39 No. 11
Fix this textSEPTEMBER 10, 1958
Fix this textPrice: Threepence
Fix this textFederation’s
Fix this text40th Annual Conference
Fix this textSees Damage To Education
Fix this textBy "Down-Grading” of
Fix this textTeachers’ Salaries
Fix this textAPPEALS TO GOVERNMENT
Fix this textFOR WAGE JUSTICE
Fix this textMR. NORINGTON SAID
Fix this textTHIS TO CONFERENCE
Fix this textI make reference to Paragraphs 3
Fix this textand 4 of the Board’s letter. These
Fix this textparagraphs are the most significant.
Fix this textThey say in Paragraph 3: “However,
Fix this textthis opinion has not restricted the
Fix this textBoard in its consideration of the case
Fix this textpresented by the Federation and full
Fix this textweight has been given to all the evi-
Fix this textdence placed before the Board.”
Fix this textNow you have the evidence in your
Fix this texthands in the last issue of “Education,”
Fix this textand in the opinion of every teacher
Fix this textthat I have met and every outsider
Fix this textthat has looked at it, they are unani-
Fix this textmously of the opinion that there is
Fix this textan unanswerable and water-tight case.
Fix this textThe Board goes on to say, “It is point-
Fix this texted out that the salaries fixed for other
Fix this textclasses of officers and employees in
Fix this textthe Public Service were determined
Fix this textin the light of the salaries fixed for
Fix this textteachers by the current Agreement
Fix this textand were made after full examina-
Fix this texttion of the validity of past salary re-
Fix this textlationships, which in some cases were
Fix this textaltered.”
Fix this textIt says that the Board has come to
Fix this textthe conclusion that teachers’ salaries
Fix this textwhich were previously greater than
Fix this texttheir counterparts in other sections of
Fix this textthe service, we now consider that they
Fix this textare not as valuable and that other
Fix this textgraduates should get more than
Fix this textteachers because the work value is
Fix this textgreater.
Fix this textThat is a judgment and a conscious
Fix this textdecision as they themselves admit.
Fix this textThis is an extremely serious position
Fix this textand it appears that this Board, of its
Fix this textown volition, is not going to do any-
Fix this textthing about it at all. Particularly if
Fix this textwe leave it at the stage of argument
Fix this textand placid resignation. What better
Fix this textreasoning has been advanced than
Fix this textthe case put to the Board, and on this
Fix this textoccasion we played strictly in accord-
Fix this textance with Hoyle. The Board casti-
Fix this textgated us on the previous occasion in
Fix this textround terms for campaigning first
Fix this textand then asking them to negotiate
Fix this textafterwards. They said it was wrong
Fix this textand that we were the only organisa-
Fix this texttion that does it. This time we played
Fix this textstrictly in accordance with the Board’s
Fix this textown ideas of the proper procedure to
Fix this textadopt. We approached them cour-
Fix this textteously in moderate language with an
Fix this textunanswerable case. What did we get?
Fix this textWe got exactly the same as we got
Fix this textin July, 1957, precisely nothing. “We
Fix this textconsider that teachers’ salaries are
Fix this textadequate,” they said last year. They
Fix this textsay the same thing today. In the
Fix this textmeantime they have put up everyone
Fix this textelse’s salary in the Public Service. All
Fix this textcomparable peope in the Pubic Ser-
Fix this textvice have had their salaries increased.
Fix this textNow I pose the question: What are
Fix this textwe to do about it? The Executive and
Fix this textCouncil has considered this and it
Fix this textmakes these recommendations. I am
Fix this textmerely moving that this Conference
Fix this textendorse the programme of action.
Fix this textSome of the action has already
Fix this textbeen taken by the Executive. The
Fix this textdeputation saw the Minister for Edu-
Fix this textcation last week and he was very sym-
Fix this textpathetic. This is important. We said
Fix this textto the Minister that it is the duty of
Fix this textthe Government to solve this prob-
Fix this textlem. It has gone past the Public Ser-
Fix this textvice Board and no authority can solve
Fix this textit except the Government itself. I
Fix this textsubmit that unless the Government is
Fix this textprepared to take immediate and effec-
Fix this texttive action, and Parliament is in ses-
Fix this textsion and it could get a Bill through
Fix this textin a week to rectify this position-
Fix this textother Bills have been put through
Fix this textin 24 hours—teachers will take posi-
Fix this texttive action.
Fix this textA leaflet is proposed; this will
Fix this textget the help of the public. There
Fix this textis no better time to take this action
Fix this textthan the present. Before March, 1959,
Fix this texta State election is mandatory and
Fix this textevery member of Parliament will be
Fix this textseeking your votes and the votes of
Fix this textthousands of people whom you can
Fix this textinfluence and unless this problem is
Fix this textsolved it is a serious business for the
Fix this textGovernment and they know it; it is
Fix this textour job to make sure that every mem-
Fix this textber of Parliament knows it, and I feel
Fix this textconfident that the Government will
Fix this texttake effective action if we take effec-
Fix this texttive action without delay.
Fix this textMRS. PRESTON-STANLEY
Fix this textI have much pleasure in seconding
Fix this textthe motion. Now the whole matter
Fix this textrests on this, in my opinion. That it
Fix this textThe Public Service Board refuses to grant
Fix this textTeachers’ College Lecturers and Supervisors
Fix this textsalary parity with other professional officers
Fix this textin the Public Service. Negotiations on agree-
Fix this textments for these officers are deadlocked.
Fix this textThe Board granted £1,410 per annum to a
Fix this textgraduate in his fourth year in the Public
Fix this textService, but despite protracted argument it is
Fix this textnot prepared to offer a Lecturer on appoint-
Fix this textment as such, i.e., after three years’ service
Fix this textas a teacher, more than £1,280.
Fix this textSimilar down-grading occurs at all levels
Fix this textfor both Lecturers and Supervisors in the
Fix this textBoard’s offers.
Fix this textThese cases are not a matter of reopening
Fix this textagreements, but of applying the newly-created
Fix this textprofessional salary standard to new agree-
Fix this textments.
Fix this textWhy?
Fix this textwas settled in the light of teachers;
Fix this textyou and I know very well that if we
Fix this textwant support the best we can get is
Fix this textpublic support. Now, how can we get
Fix this textthis? The best way is, to quote Mr.
Fix this textNicholls, “in the interests of the child-
Fix this textren themselves.” Now once upon a
Fix this texttime we had a relieving staff. Now we
Fix this texthave overcrowded classes. Why have
Fix this textwe not a relief staff? Is it that the
Fix this textteaching profession is not sufficiently
Fix this textattractive? There is some reason. I
Fix this textthink we should put that to the pub-
Fix this textlic and ask why we teachers are com-
Fix this textpelled to do another person’s work
Fix this textwithout any extra pay at the expense
Fix this textof their children. No other unionist
Fix this textis asked to do what you and I are
Fix this textasked to do. But it is the children
Fix this textwho suffer. You will gain pubic sup-
Fix this textport if you stress the whole matter
Fix this textin the light of the value of the teach-
Fix this texter to the community, which means do
Fix this textthe parents want inferior teachers, do
Fix this textthey want their children given the
Fix this textproper training. If so, then see that
Fix this textthe teacher gets a fair deal not only
Fix this textin salaries but in the conditions.
Fix this textThere is no other profession that I
Fix this textknow of where unionists are expected
Fix this textto work under such conditions.
Fix this textP.S. BOARD
Fix this textREFUSES TO
Fix this textREOPEN
Fix this textAGREEMENT
Fix this text"I am directed to advise you that the
Fix this textPublic Service Board has considered the
Fix this textrepresentations made by the Federation at
Fix this textthe recent conference with the Board re-
Fix this textgarding the re-opening of the current
Fix this textSection 148 Agreement, but cannot agree
Fix this textthat circumstances have arisen which war-
Fix this textrant the re-opening of such Agreement.
Fix this text"The Board considers that the term
Fix this text'authoritative industrial tribunal' cannot
Fix this textproperly be constructed to include nor was
Fix this textit intended to include the Board which was
Fix this texta party to the Agreement.
Fix this text"However, this opinion has not restricted
Fix this textthe Board in its consideration of the case
Fix this textpresented by the Federation and full weight
Fix this texthas been given to all the evidence placed
Fix this textbefore the Board.
Fix this text"It is pointed out that the salaries fixed
Fix this textfor other classes of officers and employees
Fix this textin the Public Service were determined in
Fix this textthe light of the salaries fixed for Teachers
Fix this textby the current Agreement and were made
Fix this textafter full examination of the validity of past
Fix this textsalary relationships which in some cases
Fix this textwere altered. (Our emphasis.)
Fix this text"This, as the 'Federation is aware, oc-
Fix this textcurred also in the case of certain salary
Fix this textrelationships existing under former Agree-
Fix this textments covering Teachers and Technical
Fix this textTeachers.
Fix this text"The Board has had regard to salaries
Fix this textpaid to Teachers in other States, and whilst
Fix this textthese at certain points differ with salaries
Fix this textpayable to Teachers in this State, the Board
Fix this textis unable to hold that overall the standard
Fix this textat present existing for the latter is not
Fix this textadequate and proper.
Fix this text"For the foregoing reasons the Board
Fix this textdoes not see its way to agree to any altera-
Fix this texttion of the existing salaries."
Fix this textFEDERATION
Fix this textPLANS ACTION
Fix this text"Thai a full scale campaign be organised,
Fix this textdirected towards:—
Fix this text(a) informing teachers of the position and
Fix this textrousing them to display their indigna-
Fix this texttion against the injustice of the Board's
Fix this textaction.
Fix this text(b) securing the support of the people on
Fix this textthe basis of the damage to education
Fix this textcaused by the Board's action and
Fix this text(c) securing the co-operation of the Govern-
Fix this textment in taking positive steps to solve
Fix this textthe problem.
Fix this textCOMMENTS WITHOUT COMMENT
Fix this text"The efficiency of any system
Fix this textof education, new or old, depends
Fix this texton the efficiency of our teachers,
Fix this textand as I have said so many times,
Fix this textevery school is just as good as its
Fix this textteachers, and we are proud of the
Fix this textfact that we may claim for them
Fix this texta first class job wherever they
Fix this textwork, whether it is in Sydney or
Fix this textBourke."
Fix this text"I want to thank you for a year
Fix this textof hard, faithful and very valu-
Fix this textable work in the interests of
Fix this texteducation in this State."
Fix this textThe Hon. R. J. Heffron,
Fix this textDeputy Premier and
Fix this textMinister for Education.
Fix this textAnnual Conference,
Fix this textAugust, 1958.
Fix this text"Since I last met you I have
Fix this textquartered the State. I have met
Fix this textthousands of teachers. I have
Fix this textvisited hundreds of schools. And
Fix this textI come back from first-hand
Fix this textcontact with teachers up and
Fix this textdown this State, proud of the
Fix this textrecord they are creating and
Fix this textproud of the work they are doing
Fix this text... I, for one, could bear testi-
Fix this textmony of the work that is being
Fix this textdone under difficult conditions,
Fix this textwith the whole of our resources
Fix this textstretched to the limit, by teachers
Fix this textof all kind."
Fix this textDr. H. S. Wyndham,
Fix this textDirector-General of Education.
Fix this textAnnual Conference,
Fix this textAugust, 1958.
Fix this text"An analysis was made of the
Fix this textresults of the Leaving Certificate
Fix this textfor every tenth year from 1926
Fix this textand for each of the years since
Fix this text1946. Over the thirty-year period,
Fix this textthe percentage of passes at the
Fix this textexamination has risen from 71.7
Fix this textto 76. A closer examination of
Fix this textthe results in representative sub-
Fix this textjects showed no decline in either
Fix this textthe standard of marking or in
Fix this textthe marks gained by candidates;
Fix this texton the contrary there has been
Fix this textrather a moderate but definite
Fix this textimprovement."
Fix this textSecondary Survey Report,
Fix this text1957.
Fix this text"In brief, the aim of the
Fix this textcourse (In-Service training) is to
Fix this textmaintain and develop profession-
Fix this textal growth, and in particular assist
Fix this textthose teachers who, since the
Fix this textcompletion of their student days,
Fix this textmay have undertaken no orga-
Fix this textnised study and who, accordingly,
Fix this textmight be regarded as profession-
Fix this textally backward, although meeting
Fix this textthe minimum standards of teach-
Fix this texting efficiency."
Fix this text(Signed) H. H. Dickinson,
Fix this textSecretary.
Fix this textPublic Service Board Letter,
Fix this text10th July, 1958.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-646955353
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation & New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. (1919). Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation Retrieved June 2, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-646955353
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation and New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation Sydney: The Federation, 1919. Web. 2 June 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-646955353>
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation & New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. 1919, Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation The Federation, Sydney viewed 2 June 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-646955353
{{Citation
| author1=N.S.W. Teachers' Federation.
| author2=New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation.
| title=Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation.
| year=1919
| section=volumes.
| issn=0013-1156
| issue=Vol. 39 No. 11 (10 Sep 1958)
| location=Sydney
| publisher=The Federation
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-646955353
| id=nla.obj-646955353
| access-date=2 June 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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