MARRIED WOMEN TEACHERS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 July 1931, Page 2

MARRIED WOMEN TEACHERS

QUESTION OF DISMISSAL. EDUCATION BOARD’S POWERS TESTED. AUCKLAND, July 27. The position of married women teachers as affected by the Finance Act of 1931 (No. 2) and the powers of education. boards to dismiss them to make way for single unemployed- teachers were put to test in a case heard by Mr Justice Herdman in the Supreme Court. Plaintiff was the Auckland Education Board (Mr Towle) and defendant was Adina Shepherd (Mr Bloomfield), teacher at the Avondale School and wife of Frederick Shepherd, assistant master at the Whangarei High School. The special clause under discussion concludes with the words, “The board may, with the approval of the senior inspector, refuse to employ any female married teacher.” .The Education Board took up the attitude that ’ this year’s emergency legislation was passed t-o deal with a serious ecO-nbmlc crisis and it inferred from that that, where circumstances warranted, a- female married teacher could be dismissed to make way for an unemployed teacher. The Teachers’ Institute, on the other hand, maintained that the section gave the board power only to refuse to, appoint: teachers, to, new positions and gave no powers,of| dismissal. After an inquiry into the circumstances of each, case the Auckland'board gave three nibnthis’^ notice of dismissal to fifty-three married women teachers in its service . an c f the institute gave notice that it would dispute all these dismissals. ’>■■■'

After hearing counsel the judge said ’that, a>s the matter was of some importance, he would take time to consider it.