Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation

Call Number
Nef 331.8809944 EDU
Created/Published
Sydney : The Federation, 1919-2021
Issue
Vol. 31 No. 13 (15 Sep 1950)
Images
8
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Text

Education  

Journal of the New South Wales Teachers’ Federation.  

Incorporating  

FEDERATION NEWS  

Registered crt the General Pos. Office, Sydney, for transmission by post as newspaper.  

Volume 31, No. 13.  

SEPTEMBER 15, 1950.  

Threepence.  

TEACHERS' ACCOMMODATION PROBLEMS ACUTE  

Board Informed Of Serious Difficulties  

Serious accommodation and housing difficulties  

which many country teachers are forced to endure  

were brought under the notice of the Public Service  

Board by deputation last month.  

In addition, teachers in many parts of the State are compelled  

to pay excessive charges for board or rent, the Board was informed.  

The Board was supplied with detailed information about the  

unsatisfactory accommodation and excessive rates charged.  

Members of the delegation were  

Mr. Lewis, Mr. Taylor, Miss Wood-  

cock, Mr. Norington, Mr. Nicholls,  

Mr. Dobell, Mr. C. J. Hill, and Miss  

Mattick.  

Cases submitted were taken from  

Miss Mattick.  

evidence compiled  

by Miss E. Mattick,  

ederation Re-  

search Officer.  

The 57 centres  

from which such  

cases were listed  

included Bathurst,  

Broken Hill, Can-  

berra, Grafton, Illa-  

war a, Lithgow,  

Maitland, Newcastle, Orange, Tam-  

worth, and Wagga.  

Accommodation.  

Rooms Crowded:  

Costs High  

The following cases were  

detailed: —  

At Bourke, five teachers pay £l/15/- each  

for bed and breakfast, but total living costs  

are £4/4/- each after other meals, which do  

mot include soup or sweets, are taken at  

local cafe. The teachers share small, insuffi-  

ciently-furnished dressing rooms. They use  

qauzed-in sleep-out exposed to the weather,  

men at one end and women the other,  

separated by part-wav partition. Forty  

guests share accommodation adequate for  

only 25. There is one kerosene stove for heat-  

ing, one women's bathroom and shower, two  

showers for men. Sanitary conditions are un-  

satisfactory.  

Laundry Extra; Food Poor.  

Five teachers at Wentworth pay £4/4/-  

week each. Laundrv is extra, the food of  

poor quality, and there are no facilities for  

the preparation of school work. The teachers  

have feeling of insecurity, as permanent  

boarders are resented.  

At Captain's Flat, five teachers have to pay  

£3/12/6 week each, but the meals are of  

poor quality and have to be supplemented.  

Three teachers at Griffith each pay £4/5/-  

■a week, but have to share rooms.  

Board To £5/5/- Week.  

Other cases of high accommodation charges  

quoted were £5/5/- at Cootamundra, £4/4/- at  

Cowra, £4 and £3/16/- at Canowindra,  

£3/10/- at Manilla, £3/12/6 at Narromine,  

£3/12/6 at Muswellbrook, and £3/10/- at  

Canberra.  

Housing.  

Substandard Homes  

Shared  

Detailed information concerning  

number of rented residences was  

given to the Board.  

teacher at Eden is living 5-2 miles from  

Ibe school, in small flat consisting of two  

rooms and storeroom. There is no bath-  

room; community showers, toilet's and laundry  

are in detached building. Water has to be  

carried by bucket from the nearest tank.  

Rent is £2/15/- week.  

Sunless “Week-ender.”  

teacher at Springwood, whose wife is  

permanent asthmatic and whose daughter is  

frequently ill, is living in an allegedly fur-  

nished "week-ender." It has two bedrooms,  

each 9ft. square, and livinq room 12ft.  

square. The week-ender is surrounded by  

trees, and hence gets no sunshine and is very  

damp. Rent, £2/10/- week.  

Community Conveniences.  

Sharing bathroom, toilet and washhouse,  

teacher and his family at Bathurst live with  

seven other families in house converted  

into furnished flats. Bedroom and verandah  

are upstairs at one end of the building; the  

kitchen, which has no water supply, is down-  

stairs at the other end. The teacher pays £2  

week rent.  

Water lies all winter under 40-years-old  

house occupied by teacher at Manilla. Re-  

pairs are urgently needed to verandah, floors,  

guttering, fence and drainage.  

Fungi On Walls.  

An old brick cottage, in very poor condi-  

tion, and with verandah collapsing and in-  

adequate bathroom, has to serve another  

teacher at Manilla. Walls of this house are  

damp, and fungi grow on the lower parts of  

the kitchen walls.  

What The Federation Asks  

Meeting the Public Service Board in conference last  

month to discuss housing and accommodation for teachers,  

the Federation deputation submitted to the Board the follow-  

ing Federation proposals:—  

1.  

That the Department of Education accept full responsibility for  

for seeing that suitable accommodation at reasonable rates is avail-  

able to its officers, and that board in excess of £2/10/- be paid by  

the Department in all cases where other suitable but less expensive  

accommodation is not available.  

2.  

That the Department purchase houses for teachers where  

accommodation for married teachers is not available.  

3.  

That such houses be treated as vested residences and the rents  

assessed accordingly.  

4.  

That when the purchase of residence is contemplated, the  

district inspector, an officer of the Public Works Department and  

the local Government valuator be empowered to make decision  

relative to the purchase and sign any necessary contracts.  

5.  

That in all residences owned by the Government no rent exceed  

one-tenth of teacher's salary or £lO4 per annum, whichever is  

less.  

6.  

That the Department reimburse the teacher when he pays  

rental in excess of the maximum provided under above.  

7.  

That the classification of schools be simplified in order to  

lessen the number of transfers in connection with promotions and  

conseguent accommodation difficulties.  

Action By Other States Quoted  

Miss Mattick brought to the notice of the Public Service Board  

action being taken by other States to meet some of the accommoda-  

tion difficulties of teachers, including  

(1) Establishment of factory in Melbourne  

by the Public Works Department for the sole  

purpose of prefabricating residences for  

teachers. These residences, which are of  

weatherboard lined with victor wall boards,  

contain large kitchen and lounge room,  

three bedrooms, bathroom, pantry, porch and  

sft. 6in. verandah on two sides. They are  

built in three complete sections at the fac-  

tory, and the sections are then transported to  

the site on which the residences are to be  

erected.  

"Well, if you like to take camp-bed on the verandah, share dressing-room, and  

have your meals out, can give you accommodation for three guineas week."  

Houses.  

(2) The purchase of houses for teachers in  

Victoria and Tasmania. The fact that the  

rent of these houses is assessed on the same  

basis as that of vested residences was em-  

phasised. In Victoria, the rent is five per  

cent, of the capital value of the residence,  

provided that it does not exceed ten per cent,  

of the teacher's maximum statutory salary  

(i.e., exclusive of cost-of-living adjustments)  

of his class.  

Excess Board.  

(3) The payment of excess board in South  

Australia in accordance with the following  

scale:—  

(a) For teachers in receipt of salaries up to  

and including £4OO per annum, the  

Department will pay the full excess  

above 35/- week up to and including  

50/- week, and half the excess there-  

after up to and including £5 week.  

(b) For teachers in receipt of salaries be-  

tween £4Ol and £6OO per annum, the  

Department will pay the full excess be-  

tween 42/6 week and 50/- week,  

and half the excess thereafter up to  

and including £5 week.  

(c) For teachers in receipt of salaries of  

£6Ol per annum and over, the Depart-  

ment will pay half the excess above  

50/- week up to maximum of £5  

week.  

Hostels.  

(4) The provision of hostels for single  

teachers in South Australia. These have been  

established in seven centres and provide  

accommodation on an average for ten  

teachers.  

Allowances.  

(5) The liberal allowances paid in Victoria  

to married teacher compelled to live away  

from home or who is paying board and  

lodging for himself and his family. The  

Teachers' Tribunal pays such allowances as  

are considered reasonable for an indefinite  

period of time, and has paid up to £4 week.  

© Board's reply received—page 98.  

Cite

Citation options:
Work identifier

http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680907209

APA citation

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 July 25, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680907209

MLA citation

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. 25 July 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680907209>

Harvard/Australian citation

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 25 July 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680907209

Wikipedia citation

{{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. 31 No. 13 (15 Sep 1950)
  | location=Sydney
  | publisher=The Federation
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680907209
  | id=nla.obj-680907209
  | access-date=25 July 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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