WOMEN TEACHERS OF NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2214, 29 July 1914, Page 2

WOMEN TEACHERS OF NEW ZEALAND

INFLUENCE IN EDUCATION. At the annual meeting of the North Canterbury Women Teachers' Association, which was recently held, au interesting speech was made by tho president, Miss Chaplin. In tho course of.it, nhe remarked that' the world was coming to realise how far extending- are the bounds of "women's sphere," but of all tho various vocations to which slio was called, next only in importance to the Home camo tho school. < Where tho children were must women bo, and no right-thinking man would dispute her influence there. Nevertheless, she was frequently denied the best use of her talents, and was given hut limited scopc tor hor ability. The drudgery of the profession (noble,though it be) was hers by right—for was she not' a woman? ' but the higher paths, of responsibility, to which her experience ought often to load her, were barred to li.er approach. There wore some districts in New Zealand- where women teachers of high efficiency in -the primary schools wore debarred from positions higher than that of third assistant in a town school 1 Thoy were free to bury themselves amid uncongenial surroundings and the strenuous work of a sole-charge school, .because it generally happened that no man would -go there, and sometimes niter this term of "hard labour',' they might, be permitted to becomo assistants in town schools, where they must b« contented to stay at hard and grinding class work till a kindly superannuation scheme gathered up the .fragments.Tho education of girls and infants was surely essentially their work; but its importance had not yet received due recognition. Tho time was coming when ability and experience—oven in a woman , —would entitle her to a _ responsible position where her organising powers and knowledge- gained during tho years might be utilised to the full in tho State's service. Continuing, thd president stated that ii;' the great field of. education thero should be scope for men and womenyet 110 room for rivalry. Both wero needed; both should be remunerated fitly, as becamo .those on whose shoulders rested in great measure the destiny of the nation. Such iniquities as payment on average attendance and the banging of tho door of'promotion in tlio faces of ..ablo and , long-suffering workers should speedily b > put an end to. In tho projected Council of Education or Advisory ( Coramitteo the State ought to avail itself of the practical help and advice of experienced tehcliers of both sexes, and so conserve tho best interests of all the children.