WOMEN'S NATIONAL COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 195, 7 May 1918, Page 2

WOMEN'S NATIONAL COUNCIL

EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS A mating of Uio Wellington Branch of , the AVonum's National Council was held in the Y.W.C'.A. TTooins last evening. Miss England presided. Previous to dealing with the subject cf (ho ovenhig's di» Mission, Unit nf educational reforms, certain phases of a matter which has b«en brought before the public within tho-Inst few days were spokon of, and Mrs. Chatfield brought forward tho suggestion that, the council and its alhlintul societies establish a fund by means of which a lawyer lie retained, representing those women's societies, to watch all legislation brought down in tho House of Keprescntatives that touches'upon matters affecting the interests of \vomen and children. The suggestion mot nitta muoli

approval, and a motion to the follow ing effect was brought forward: "That the clauso in tho AVar Regulations dealing with houses of ill-fame be so amended that all men found on such' premises be arrested (as in the case of raids upon gaming houses), such places being oni.v kept in existence by the support, of these men." This resolution was carried mously, and is to bo forwarded to the Minister of Justice. Mrs. Coad, M.A., was called upon to open the subject of the evenings discussion, and in dealing with the subject of continuation classes she said that thoy aimed at making education compulsory foe all those- ehildren who left the primary school nt the age 1 of H, and who did not go to any other school. The average number of children who so left was about 50 per cent. The education of these children at so impressionable an ( age would soon react very favourably upon the life of the nation. The general intelligence of the people would be raised, a 'great deal of street loafing would be prevented, a great deal of vulgar amusement ended, and leisure hours would be more wisely spent. These continuation classes supplied broadly two needs of the community, the need for vocational training and the ned for civic training. _ In connection with vocational training, although there was money in it, and industrialists would soon voluntarily ask

that it lw instituted, there was this fact , v ■ to' be taken into consideration: that there j were sonic callings in which it_ was not (j needed, as in some cases niechanicil work „ was learnt in a few mouths. These j I people needed civic or cultural training a as an antidote to their mootoiious work. c In pre-vocational classes young pcopie wcra told on general lines what work . they were best fitted for, and warned I about work they should not take up. " Sometimes a vocational expert was no- , " pointed, a trained wychoiogist who could , givo more definite, accurate advice to bojs I and girls. Often in cwnectmn with these j

classes there was an educational bureau where information was given about con- , ditions in various industries. Children j were placed in employment., looked after 1 and followed up. Miss Cowl was of iha opinion that civic training, however, was badly needed, partly to teach the people how to use 1 political power (for if democracy is to be ! successful it must- attain intelligence), and : also and chiefly, because the centro of political power lies with Ihe people, in the workshop, in the street, in the factory and elsewhere. Girls should have precisely the same civic training as boys. The vole was of no use to thorn if thoy did not know how to use it. That tho women of this country were not making full use of tho political power they possessed was evidenced by tho fact that there should bo such injustices to women as are contained in the War Regulations now in force. Those regulations, Miss Coad considered, were- a disgrace to the women of this country beeauso they had a vote. They would be a disgrace to any country whose women had (he franchise, and it was to be hoped that rho women would insist upon Iheii repeal so far as tho women's clauses wero concerned. Miss Coad also held that livic .training woiild have a unifying effect upon a .community. Freedom brought many disintegrating forces into being, 'and civic training would show that a.ll classes reacted mpoii each other and wero all closely related. Tho present position of domestic science in the schools was touched upon', and Miss Coad pointed out that in primary schools girls took more domestic science (cooking, and in fomo cases sewing). This meant that for ''art of the year, whan the boyi. were doing scholarship work, girls were doing cooking or sewing, and thev had to lompeto with the boys in the'scholarship xamination —boys who were enabled to g-ive -more time to their studies than wero the girls because of these regulations binding them to these other branches of study. In the secondary schools tliere was a regulation which made a stilt course of domestic - scienco compulsory for every girl. If

this regulation were ontorced it meant that the girl would have to devote \» quarter of her tune w domestic science —mure time given tu it than to any other subject. A good general education would not be obtainable at '.be secondary schools through liieso regulations. Every girl should be taught to cook and sew, but her chances of a good general education should not bo loaned as thesu

regulation's litres leu to lessen lliwn. Air. Jlaslam, heuihunstur of the District High School itt Petone, spoke of the value ot continue tion classes uiul uf the excellent work that hail been achieved by them in U:v<it Erituiit. Ac ihe present moment the N.Z.E.i. was. particularly interesting lU'll' in Ihu matter of medical inspection nf schools, and in. (.Ijo course of his remarks .Mr. llashini, while ipouking ol' what had hcen achiuved to the good by medical 'inspection, pointed on.l how improvements might be brought about by a change of procedure on the part of the Department. Tho welfare »V the child was. the great aim of the insiiluie. He was of the opinion that medical inspection al the present time, began nf the wrong end by not paving greater attention to tho preventive side. The part played by old school buiUiiiißß and furnituro in encuiiragiug physical dol'ccls was stressed, and .Mr. considered that when plans for new school buildings were being made the. medical •inspector ol' schools and a board of experienced teach-i-i-H should lie asked to pass their opinions upon the. proposed buildings. School buildings and school playgrounds should be made as beautiful as possible, lor little enough of beauly entered into the lives of some children. The i-chool playgrounds'were a disgrace to Wellington, but so were many other spaces. At all times school grounds, made as beautilul as possible, should be available to chil-ili-eo for the. physical !iic. ol Ihe child as well as his moral life was 'tilimntcly conneoted with playgrounds.