WOMEN TEACHERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2748, 17 April 1916, Page 3

WOMEN TEACHERS

ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL REPORT.

The annual report of tho New Zealand Women Teachers' Association states that during the past twelve months the association has devoted its energies to patriotic work, to consolidating and strengthening its organisations and increasing the number of associations wherever possible. "The most notable event of the year," the report goes on to say, "has been the granting of registration to various women teachers' associations. Tho Wellington Association was registered at the beginning of the year, whereupon detailed inforuiation about_ procedure was supplied to all associations, viz.: Auckland, North Canterbury, Southland, Nelson, Manawatu, Gisborne, Hastings, Marlborough. A constitution was drafted and sent to the various women teachers' associations.

"Certain remits have been submitted to .women teachers' associations, and if passed by them these have been sent on to the various district institutes, which again have sent thorn on as remits to the N.Z.E.I. in most cases. This year associations have specialised on two or three things, and as a result motions dealing with the following matters appear on the order paper of the New Zealand Educational Institute:—(l) Various remits dealing with the status and position of women in the. professions generally. These are to be found in certain remits dealing with the lower grades, where most of our women teachers are congregated. &) Some remits concerning the classification and promotion of teachers. (3) Some remits dealing with cases of transfer—providing that women teachers shall not suffer loss of salary or status when a school rises in attendance. ~

"All associations have been notified of ; the importance of securing women representatives to the N.Z.E.I. Partly as a result of the work among the associations, twelve-' women representatives appeared at the N.Z.E.I. last year, as against two or three for the previous year. This year twelve or thirteen women representatives have been elected. More would have been elected, but some of our ablest women teachers havo directed so much of their attention to patriotic work that they had little time or inclination to offer themselves as . candidates for the' N.Z.E.I. As one of the chief functions of our associations is to secure tho return of women to the N.Z.E.L, it is hoped that more women will come to the fore next year. "In conclusion, our work this year has not been of an exciting or spectacular nature, but nevertheless ._ it has been quiet and insinuating. Little by little the number of women represen : tatives.at the N.Z.E.I. is increased; little by little more remits stressing the women's point of view in educational matters are appearing on the order paper of ■ the N.Z.E.1.; little by little women teachers are taking pore interest in the affairs of their tutes, and are ready to, .raise their voices there when occasion demands. Little by little needful information which is required as evidence to support our.cases is being collected. For instance, information has been collected as to the condition of women teachers in lower grades —their years of experience, qualifications, and salaries."