WOMEN TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 20, 19 October 1920, Page 4

WOMEN TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION

TEACHING OF SEX HYGIENE,

A meeting of the Wellintfton branob of the (Women Teachers' Association, presided over by Miss N. E. Coad, M.A., was held in the Education Board Buildings last evening. There was a large attendance of members.

Miss Coad reported that she had been asked, by tho "Wellington branch of the Women's National Council to bring before their consideration that evening the matter of subscribing towards a fundto be used for tho purpose of a. campaign to place women upon the City Council whenever the ounprtunitv afforded. The Teachers' Association was affiliated to the National Council, and other.affiliated women's organisations'were fcllincr in with the suggestion. The lew would be, a sliillins a member for all women's organisations that wore in symuathv with the idea. The motion was put to the meetinc ' and carried: "That this meeting of women teachers support the Womons National Council in their nronosal to form a fighting fund to nut women uuon the City. Council." . [ Several remits to be brought before the annual conference of ' women teachers were discussed and carried. ' \s the Education Department had considered it advisable that the women teachers should be consulted in regard to tho proposal to teach sex hygiene inthe primary schools, Dr. Ada Peterson was asked to nlace the matter before them for consideration. In dealing with the subject Dr. Paterson said that it was very hard to annroacli the child mind upon such a subject wheu it was one that was full ot difficulty for. adults among themselves. The indelibility of childish impressions niade a serious matter of this teaching. Medical statistics showed a grave \rasfc of life and ofnationa efficiency from social diseases. Those in close observa, ton of the child and adolescent made riou statements as to the mentaln,*, erv and physical weakness caused by mS understanding of the facts o bfo and tho functions of the body. The im oortance' of children obtaining the rwMSedge from iV clear "liminate deniable. It would not .wholly eliminate was the parent, and if mH&• »$£ tion she' did not consider desirable db -oiS»tnthigf^. RaStr^rfS VitltSo proper mental attitude and under tanding of children, preferably some one for whom the child had affection and rZiect V healthy environment meant nX'also proper housing adequate sanitary provisions, and .a leganl tor h decencies of life. Proper. P aygroumb lVder supervision were wanted, and the rf-htd action for their youthful energy. Their bodies should be made healthy and thr minds directed to wholesome iXifs. No child should be worked to Is mental and-physical .injuw, hut it was an excellent thing for it to have ?nme wholesome ambition which made sell-discipline necessary whether. tte aim was to b Jimi Play cricket, or interest, We rarely heard of tho euift that tamo from lack of effort or proper : Surest As to tho question of how to instruct children as to sex tyg'one, JJr._ 'Patterson did not th nk that tor child, fen, unless possibly those of upper high 'school classes, much .re erenco stould I>e made to the pathological side of tne mattor. Teaching-should- bo pain and prac, ' tic'al- without making undue appeal, to tho emotions. -: Instruction -shouldJ* simple and When. a.otaM fcema to ask questions it should not be told untruths or snubbed For older clu d n there were many books dealing with the suhect. Aualogywasdfficult, as such foaching' had to be made-.more or less explicit. For adolescent boys and «a s lectures would, tell as simply-as possible the' significance of-the phenomena of adolescence, • and-' would impross upou children tho wholesome care of the body. Muoh discussion ensued, and nnaliy tho following resolution was "ln the present conditions, m our primary schools it was undesirable troduce tho teaching of sex hygiene The differentiation, in the salares• o« men and women teachers was brought.before the attention of the meeting by Miss Aoheson, who'moved that the womeu tacSo Wellington view with alarm, and strongly disapprove, of the introduottol of °sefdifferentiation Mhe «£n« of young teachers, on the following roundsf-d) That the work required of such trainees being . identical, it waa piringpremium-on sex and a viola, fion of the principle of equal pay for Sal work;, (2) that tho cos of living pressed equally on both, and that the young girl in most .cases had to pay more to get suitable accommodation and thai we respectfully urge the Minister of Education to reconsider the question and to Place all trainees on an equal Ctin™-Her resolution was carried. ■