WOMEN TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16168, 23 March 1918, Page 2

WOMEN TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. • At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Women Teachers' Association there was a large attendance, and Miss Chaplin, president, was in the chair. In her address, Miss Chaplin dealt briefly -with tho events of the past educational year as they affected women teachers. Tho year had been comparatively uneventful, following on tho deep interest taken in the newly drawn up grading list tho year before, but much quiet work had been done. Modifications in the grading scheme liad been secured, but tho arbitrary restrictions, which made quota marks dopendent on salary and position remained, and were a grave injustice to women teachers. The year had seen the first docision in the Dominion to appoint a woman inspector, and the Auckland Education Board had now advertised the position. It had been the third year sinco the constitution of the Council of Education, and, as yet, only four out of seventeen members on the Council were women. Still they had brought forward and carried several important resolutions. A Child Welfare Committee had been formed to deal specially with the education of girls and infants. They had also drawn attention to the need for women teachers for upper standard girls, in view of the increasing importance of tho subjects of hygiene, physiology, and housecraft in the.school curriculum. Other questions dealt with by the Council, were tjie evils of large classcs and the pupil teacher system. It had been recommended that pupil teachers should have increased pay, should not count as part of the staff, and should be replaced by assistants in town schools. They had been told that thero were not sufficient teachers available to allow of this being done, but the number of ccrtificatted teachers out of employment in some districts weakened this statement. She referred to the approaching retirement of Mr Just, with a brief of his work as a teacher and a champion <;f teachers' rights, and also drew, attention to the fact that the spirit of comradeship among teachers was proved by the financial help subscribed by teachcrs to a colleague in distress. Miss Kent, secretary, read the annua}. report. Meetings had been well j attended, and addresses had been given ; by Miss Caw Icy. lately from England, [ Miss Hull, of tlio Creche and Kindergarten Association, Mrs Gardiner, late of the Girls' Hostel, and a social gathering had been held. Circulars had been printed and distributed among women teachers in Canterbury and Westland to stimulate interest in matters of importance to these teachers. Misses Chaplin and Smith, as president and secretary of the N.Z.W.T.A., and Misses King and Spence, as delegates, had represented the Association at the annual' meeting of tho Now Zealand Women Teachers' Association in Wellington. The balance-sheet showed a credit balance of £6 6s 7d.

Miss King gave a brief report of the annual meeting of the X.Z.W.T.A. The meetings had been' most interesting, the members working most harmoniously together. Important subjects discussed were tho limitation of the size of classes, the need for larger playgrounds, State kindergartens, and women inspectors. Tho following officers were elected: President, Miss King; vice-presidents, Misses Inkpen and Chaplin ; secretary, Miss Kent; treasurer, Miss Harvey; committee, Mrs Colgan, Misses Craddock, Morgan, Barker, Cooper, Pearson, Smith, Bevin, Spenee, Armstrong, and Adams. Miss Chaplin, who, as president of the Association for the past six years, and as member of the Council of Education for tho past three years, has done such .sterling service for the cause of education, and for the rights of women teachers, was again nominated as representative of the women teachers of tho South Island on the Council of Education.