WOMEN TEACHERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3001, 20 February 1926, Page 2

WOMEN TEACHERS.

EXCLUDED FROM HIGHEST POSITION'S.

Auckland, February 18,

The New Zealand Educational Institute has for some time been giving careful consideration to the practice of several education boards of advertising for a headmaster in eases where the regulations do not require that the position should be filled by a male teacher. This practice has had the effect of excluding women teachers from many of the highest positions in the service, notwithstanding the fact that probably three-fourths of the teachers in the service are women.

A letter was received by the Auckland Education Board to-day from the institute’s solicitors, stating that it was intended to test the question by legal proceedings, and the institute wished to afford the boards concerned an opportunity of justifying the course adopted by them.

The general principle of the Act, the letter stated, was that a board should select for appointment or transfer the candidate highest on the graded list of teachers, and if that candidate was a woman she was entitled under the Act to be appointed to the position.

Particular cases in which the Auckland Board was concerned were advertisements for headmasters for the Nelson Street, Alexandra, and Mangatepara schools. Various aspects of the question were discussed by the board in committee, the general opinion being that the matter was one for legal advice. A motion that the matter should be placed in the hands of the board’s solicitor was carried. Mrs Ferner disagreed with the resolution, and at her request her opposing vote was recorded.