TOO GREAT A STRAIN

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 417, 28 January 1909, Page 5

TOO GREAT A STRAIN

EDUCATION OF GIRLS. DISCUSSION BY UNIVERSITY SENATE. THE DIGNITY OF DOMESTIC WORK. ' (BY'TELKUKAPU—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland,' January 27. The University Senate held a warn two -hoUis' discussion this morning on a motion brought forward by Rev. A. Cameron purporting to havo ( tho object of lessening the • strain in girls' 'secondary schools. Tho following was tho motion:— , "'That viith a view to lessening tho strain on girls in secondaiy schools, and in order to encourage development of practical education iu tho samo, tho • Minister for Education be asked to m- , crease 'the number of senior national .scholarships so as to provide annually, say, , fifteen such scholarships for girls only. In the event of the Minister agreeing to this request", the piesont senior national scholarships, also tho 'junior university scholarships, bo open only for boys. 'Tho mover, in pleading that tho strain on the' girls should bo lessened, said that all the doctors who had had anything to do with-theso examinations, and had gone through them, stated that tho strain .was too great. 1 ' Ho was suro if there was n" number of scholarships for girls' schools that would lossen tho pressure. No girl should be allowed to go up for a senior scholarship who bid not had a course in cookery. He would make one of tho subjects domestic science. They should frame tbo scholarships so that they, would fit tho' girls for playing their proper part in tho community. AH girls ' who went to tho secondary schools should , bo taught domestic science as well as cookcry. It would do good to tho schools and 'the girls if the latter were compelled to tako as one, ,of their subjects domestic science. What' nero we doing at present? We, were exporting our brightest young men - by means of Rhodes and national scholarships, and by means of scholarships wo wcro injuring tho health of our brightest girls. This would be largely prevented if the suggestion were accepted and the Minister acceded to it.' It had been said that tho Minister would not grant any more scholarships. He had, put down fifteen, as in the past girls'had 1 wo'i a considerable number of scholarships. They had won six *<last year, .fifteen the year/before, and the year before, that seventeen.' It would be a "wrong thing to-shove tho girls'out of tho scholarships, and if the Government wanted to increaso them .the university should considor the question and, allocate a certain number for boys and a certain number for girls. - If tho Government granted the request for an increase the senate should resolve to limit tho national .scholarships to bdys. • , Professor F. D. Brown said that equality , between bpys and girls was a mistake. Although o great many girls might not take any part directly \in competition, yet their wholo education was influenced and deflected from what was for them the right path by the junior, scholarship examination. Therefore, any step which tended to shako this principle was 'desirable. ;'Mr. ;Hogben, Inspector-General of Schools, said that he did not think that ho could support the motion just now. He agreed with Professor F. v D.' Brown' on tho question •of girls'- equality with boys. He realised that we should train our girls to mnke them real-ise'the-dignity of the domestic work of tho women of the nation. Tho training in< domestic science which girls ought to got was not altogether the same as that which they received with written work. He welcomed the motion,' as it made the senate think on tho differentiation which there should bo in the education of girls and boys. That there should be differentiation bad been recognised in Switzerland,' Germany, and other countries, nnd .it would hare to bo recognised hero. It affected tho.ljfe aiul.thajfutur.o.of the nation.' Dr. M'Dowell, speaking'from l b, position of experience,, said that there' was too much stiaini on girls, but,not on boys. Theresas no 1 doubt that many girls in cur schools at present suffered considerably from.-the effect of th'a strain placed on them. It was difficult to know how to deal with the problem. It Tvas„ not the' intellectual strain which the girls suffered frorrtj but tho great emotional ~i ■Mr. 'F. E. Baume, M.P., said tho wholo system of our education was based upon this that men and women are equally entitled to attain tho; same positions, and' to have the' same'opportunities. That was the whole principle of women's rights. We were told that r women were the equals,of men intellectually, ' and given equal opportunity would prove it; but from what Dr. M'Dowell , had said _ women were incapable of standing the. physical strain of' competitive examinations that men were. . '■Dr M'Dowell: I said that at the scholarship ages, and a little before, girls were not. Their nervous constitution is unsettled ' Mr. Baume, continuing, said that by raising tho age the strain would bo intensified. If girls had Jill twenty it would simply lengthen the strain. (Hear, hear.)' Because tliey had till twenty they would not slacken work during that critical period'which Dr. M'Dowell had spoken of. He hoped tho motion would bo' withdrawn, as tho_ object of creating disoussioni had been attained. The senate would have to decide if the aims of men and women in life were .to he identical. The whole question of the bringing up'of young 'people, was , involved—whether girls were to go into the mercantile, commercial, and other spheres, or whether they were to bo regarded as having been'designed to take some part in domestic life. • '

; ' v ';lhe ;R6y;:.;A'.'> Cameron refused -tio withdrawthe;Ymotiph JiSHe';said: ihat ; he-;had j pected ■ ; t6 , l solve 'the; question by'■;the.':rri6tion," but'He was certain, that thei Community would haye : -td^mbve^alongyinXthis ; ;direction. ; .; i He. ,agreed!witbv.Mr^BaumeVthat:;increasing the! age'^would,'intensify ;the:.strain'.!'.-.:' .All'■ girls ■wmild>h'bt "go!into ''-but;!sbrae ."would,go. !ownJ!.and;it their '.own-liomes: ; ; In^t;'teaching A a!;girl;tb! qual-; i/yvfbr'iher.home'theyVw'efo,doing; a gribvbus lEjnry; ?}?* ;*l;'t ,; :-',r;:: : :(\ .'.::■..! ; : 'r ,•■'.' :,"^r ::;-! :/rhe^motion)was':'then^put