In secondary schools as in other grades of educational work the salaries of women are lower than those of men, as may be illustrated by the London County Council scale of salaries.

Men:  Assistants . .  L150-L300 (or L350)
Heads . .  L400-L600 (or L800)

Women:  Assistants . .  L120-L220 (or L250)
Heads . .  L300-L450 (or L600)

The difference between the salaries of heads and assistants is in many cases greater than is desirable.  Things being as they are, it is well that there should be some prizes to attract ability into the profession.  On the other hand, a woman, whose best work is that of an assistant, should not be tempted to give it up for the salary of a headmistress.  The assistant has the opportunity for closer and more personal touch with her girls, being intimately responsible for a smaller number; she has also better opportunities for working out the teaching of her subject and improving its technique.  Education would gain if more of the ablest teachers, specially successful in one or other of these directions, were left in a position to continue this work, instead of feeling obliged to substitute for it the perhaps uncongenial task of organisation on a large scale, and that contact with visitors, organisers, inspectors, committees, and the public, which occupies the time of the heads of schools.  The truth of this is, I am told, better appreciated in Germany than in this country.

Since local authorities took over the work, secondary teachers have gained considerably both as regards salaries and tenure.  They are now, as a rule, better paid than elementary teachers, which was not always the case before 1902.

The tenure of the teacher varies in different schools.  It is now less common than formerly for the appointment and dismissal of the staff to be entirely in the hands of the Headmistress; and assistants are thus safe-guarded against possible unfair and arbitrary action.  The Headmistress,[6] however, has almost invariably a preponderating voice in the selection of her staff—­as is right if the school is to be a living organism, not merely one of a series of machines with interchangeable parts; but the power of dismissal, if in her hands, is usually safe-guarded by the right of appeal to the appointing body—­local authority or board of governors as the case may be.  This right of appeal should be universal, and formal agreements should in all cases be made. (A model form of agreement has been drawn up by the Association of Assistant Mistresses.)

Pensions are not generally provided for secondary teachers; but a national pension scheme for them is under consideration, and there is hope that it will not be long delayed.

The poorer members of the teaching profession come under the National Health Insurance Act and are provided for by the University, Secondary and Technical Teachers’ Insurance Society which already numbers eleven thousand members.  This society also offers, in its Dividend Section, to those not compulsorily insured the opportunity for voluntary insurance against sickness.  Association among secondary teachers has been considerably furthered by the desire to qualify for membership in the Insurance Society.