LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 79, 27 December 1917, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

HOME SCIENCE FOR GIRLS Sir,—The strong opposition to the compulsory study of home science for girls who matriculate, which vas been demonstrated in no uncertain language tlnoughout the Dominion by the ■ nios' experienced principals of secondary schools in their reportß, and by tninking people in the columns of the daily Press, should decisively influence the'women teachers who meet in conference next Monday. In addition to tnesc emphatic expressions nf disapproval, we also have the home science papers as sot for the recent matriculation examination. No stronger argument can be adduced against ttie farcicul idea of "saving the babies" by lowering the standard of education for vcmeii, than is afforded by these home science papers. Thus— Question 3.—lf you were given cloths of (a) wool, (b) silk, (e) coloured cotton, each soiled by both dirt and grease, how would you clean and dry them? Are there for each material any methods of treatment you would avcidP State your reasons. How would you clean soiled kid gloves P Explain tho principle of your method. Question 4.—A piece of meat is grilled over a fierce fire, and a suitable thermometer is kept with its bulb in the centre of tho meat, out protected from the heat of the fire. What reading, approximately, would you expect tho thermometer to' and what inference may be drawn fiom this as to the nature of the process within the meat? What changes would take place in the (a) fat, (b) loan, on the outside of the meat? Etc , ttc. l;i England it would be considered by eiivcatccl women as an infringement on the rights of labour were they to wash dirty clothes or to dean kid gloves. There are women whose livelihood depends on such 'labour, and it is a duty to provide employment for them. If, however, glove cleaners woro drafted off into war work, our splendid women would dispense with gloves altogether rather than deprive tho nation of that time and talent which it is their proud duty to supply Question 4 is superfluous. Hunch eels of thousands of neoplo in England had given up eating meat years Moro the war. It is difficult for a small country like New Zealand, occupying in isolated position, to avoid being somewhat pfiijochial in its outlook and occasionally a law unto itself. In cdiicition, however, it cannot afford to get out of line with the universities. An Oxford or Cambridge degree carries its value into every corner of the_ globe. But it is not so with a New Zealand degree, even though the aims of the universities are similar. Where, then, will a New Zealand woman graduate stand in comparison _ with English graduates, if home science is forced upon her, and a lower standard accepted in some other subject hy way of compensation? She win suffer the humiliation, no matter how intellectual slw may be, of being out of 'he running for any appointment other than a teacher of domestic science. Fourfifths of the girls in New Zealand aro anxious to specialise in home science. There is, therefore, no need 10 handicap them or the other fifth by placing a stigma,on n University degree i? won b\- a woman. Many intellectual women would not shine as teachers, but there are thousands of other professions or branches of labour open to them in which they should he allowed to specialise in open competition with men or women from other universities. —I am, etc., — FAIR PLAY.