THE TRAINING OF BOYS AND GIRLS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2907, 20 October 1916, Page 7

THE TRAINING OF BOYS AND GIRLS

DISCUSSION AT VICTORIA COLLEGE

EFFICIENT WOMEN Last evening a \'ery interesting discussion upon tho recommendations mado by tho Council of Education on the subject of differentiation in regard to the education of girls and boys was hold in tho gymnasium of Victoria Collego, at the instigation of tho Women's Social Investigation League. Tho speakers of tho ovening ■were Miss i'hoobe Myers, M.A., Mise England, and l Professrfr Hmiter. Miss Nicholls presided. Tho eommittco which had been appointed to reportupon this important matter to the Education Council had presented among others the following three recommendations, which were the subject of last evening's discussion :— - .

(a) That recognising the value in the education of girls of those ' subjects: which specially pertain, to women's, life work, this committee affirm iii general the policy • that tliß time has come when moro differentiation in tho education of girls and boys is advisable. •'(b) That with a, view to more definite work in character formation/ some change should bo mado to women teachers more opportunity for tho personal guidance of girls. (c) While?drawing attention to the need for that kind of education which fully recognises tho development of womanly,'qualities, this committee wishes to onsuro for girls opportunities for even fuller '• development of their individual mental powors and tho recognition of tho importance of their humanity. Iu opening the subject, Miss Myers read a paper which had been written by Mi's. Talbot, a member of the council (and alsovii member- of the committee), which practical!}; formed the basis of tho conimittoo's ""report. . Tho points emphasised by Mrs. "Talbot in this paper wore that it had to be remembered that tno 'girl''was a. human 'being; that her training had to be given with regard to a .woman's: physical ueods, and that she was to be a home maker, and a mother" in tho ordinary' course of events. Her training, had also to bo carried out' with due regard to I 'her intellectual'needs; while, yet another point was tho need to equip her as an independent' wage-oarner, ablo to stand alone, and for which a yocatiorial course must bp provided.' Character formation and.tlie spiritual needs of girls were also touchpct upon, and the paper also drew attention to the work of scull women' as Miss Buss, .Miss iJealo, and other women-who had fought for the higher education ( of wpnieli." Professor Hunter, who was.the next, speaker called upon, said that there was somo difficulty in commenting upon the recommendations . sot out in the paper just read by Miss Myors, as they were embodied in rather abstract language. Some of the recommendations made by tho council ho heartily agreed with, but thoro were others which if. they meant what they-, appeared to mean he would heartily oppose: In -regard to that which proposed special I trainjii" iu all that pertained to woI men's fife, ho would like to know what it really meant. If it meant as a wife and mother, it should havo said so, but it' had to be remembered that there was an ever-increasing number of unmarried women to be thought of. That tho wholo education of.women should bo devoted to the making of a wifo and mother seemed to him to be a great' mistake. ■ Wo did not want a specialised form of training in the primary schools. What, asked Professor Hunter, i a char-' actor formation? What do wo mean by it, and what is meant in regard to tho spiritual needs of girls being met? In character formation there should bo no_ fundamental difference, the wholo object being that of turning out a good oit-izen, wlicthor man or woman. Professor, Hunter said he did not believe in boys being taught in one school and girls in another. That idea arose out of a defective'system of education., The loss/of social influence upon tho boys and giris would bo undoubted through such segregation. The differentiation in tho education of girls, beginning in standard 111 Profossor Hunter decidedly opposed. What ought to bo encouraged, he Jiekl, was tho development of more individualised training for boys and girls to moot thoir capacities, and that would involve 'groat ohanges. This country spent about ono and a half millions of pounds upon education, and what-was' spent upon racing, upon liquor, and upon' motor-cars in comparison ? Instead of mob training in regard to education, wo ought to graduate- the dilfcront intellectual abilities of tho .pupils. Largo schools wore a mistake, and their only argument was that of cheapness., Provision for specialisation cost moro money, and tho question to bo faocd was as to whether wo wore' going in for'a cheap system or.one thai would cost moro, but would lie more efficient. Another point which he was not quito clear about in tho report was' as t'owhethor sex training of the children in tho, schools were involved'. He beleivcd that such a suggestion was most unsound. To havo children of different ages : taught suoh matters by teachers who wero unqualljed to do so, who. had no width of experience, was to be deprecated. If medical inspeotors of schools started a propaganda of enlightenment with the parents a great deal of good might be done. To do so the medical inspectors woiild have to be of'tho best, and paid well. Undoubted,-, lythe demand for women teachers was because they wero cheap labour. He believed in equal pay for equal labour, and iii an open field for the best, whether that best were a man or a ,woman. If. However, segregation of boys and girls were to beiupneld, and tho training of girls specialised in directions pointed out, where would women bo? Miss England also announced herself as bping against tho vocational training, of girls in tho elementary schools. She; felt strongly that a woman had the rTglit to tho fullest possible development of ' every, faculty sho possessed. She was strongly, against any attempt at specialisation being mado at so young an ago as ten or thereabouts. At a later ago girls learnt very readily things which if they were made to specialise at .too early an age, they did not absorb or retain, and it was impossible to specialise wider fourteen. SSo opposed tho idea also that girls after ton should bo taught by women. It was to her mind most retrogressive, and was going back to tho .worst oi tho old ideas, which.dissociated men's and women's.interests. Any form of education that emphasised the differences of sex must bo detrimental to tlie well-boing of society and the development of men and women.