WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 72, 12 August 1912, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Bileen.") SHOULD MEJf TEACH GIRLS? An animated and amusing tU'bato ton 1 place at the conference of (.lie Nation;)' Association of Head Teachers at Stoke-on-Trent recently on the question whether girls ought not to be taught solely by women. A resolution was submitted iby Miss Cox, of Birmingham, that mixed .schools and combined departments undei the charge of a head master were not conducive to the best training of girls and girl ipupil teachers, and that the decreasing proportion of women teachers who could become mistresses of girlsl' schools was very discouraging to the large body of women who by sex. ability, training and qualification were best iitted to take charge of girJs. . Miss Cox said something should be done whereby women teachers should have justice. (Hoar, hear). Many women, she admitted, required a head over them. (Laughter and "Hear, hear"). "Personally, I don't require a head," she retorted; "I have a good one of mv own." (Laughter and cheers). "No man, however good he may be." she continued, "understands girls, neither does he understand women, (Laughter). I think the time lias come when the women should stand up for their rights in this matter of the training of girls. Men should have the training of 'boys, and women the training of ;:irls." Miss Cooper, of Birmingham, in (seconding, said they all knew that boys and girl* developed their mental capacities at different ages, and it was impossible for them to be taught together in a (i Mock. She did not wish to see boys as effeminate as they saw in some of the mixed schools, and .they saw much more forwardness in girls in* the mixed school ■than when the sexes were separated. GIRLS AND MEN TEACHERS. Eventually Miss Cox consented to move only the first part of the resolution.

Mr. Harwood, Halifax, speaking in opposition, said it was a great advantage that boys and girls should be taught together. The boys learnt a . great deal; from the girls, and the girls learnt much from the boys that was good. (A lady delegate: "And what is bad"). Comradeship of ibov and girl in school was an excellent thing; there was nothing which fitted a girl to a better understanding to «i boy than sitting beside one another at a desk. lie added: "I always find the girls love the men teachers, and I find the 'boys get on better with the women teachers." (Laughter)'i • -• ■ ■ The resolution defeated by 39 votes to 36.

Miss Cooper, of Birmingham, next,moved that women doing cquq.l \vork to that of men should 'receive equal pay. It might be objected, she'sai'd," that a woman, not having sudi; h|eavy responsibility as a man, ought! hp ( t; to. have the same salary, but women.' often' bad family responsibilities,, to keep husbands, too. (Lighter). . : J The motion.was; opposed«n the ground j that it would-tend-to a levelling down,, i and not a levelling Up, and'it was reI jected. ,• j Another resolution' protested against [ the policy 'of promoting "children at' irre j I gular times in order to fit the room or I for the purpose oif reaching 'the limit of ifiO, without regard* to' their'educational progress. Mr. Hughes,.Newcastle, said 1 that it might be.good fotn'plant-to be I forced, but it was jiad for grains to be | forced. 'Premature pronjOtihft might lead' to a lifelong wrong to'a child.. He wished there was another Dickens to sweep away the pernicious- system which was in our midst to-day.

AN UNCROWNED QUEEN In "An Injured Queen: Caroline of Brunswick," Mr Lewis Melvllifc's indufi jl trious pen lias found a subject well suited to it in the life-story of this unfortunate Princess of Wales and slighted Queen of England. 'Mr. Melville is, much at home in later Georgian times, particularly the Regency period, as. a Iqng list of books testifies, and he has a much more sympathetic subject in Caroline of ißrunswick than in his earlier volume on "The First Gentleman of Europe." THE HAND OF, FATE. It might easily have been predicted that any woman who married that too celebrated "gentleman" .was doomed to (domestic unhappiness and insult; but even the gloomiest prophets would hardly have foretold the injuries and degradations to which Caroline was subjected by her husband, who, from the time of her marriage— though they only lived together for about three week?—to her pursued her with unfailirig malig-j-nitv. in which he was ably aided by his i mother, Queen Charlotte. In fact," it is , hardly too much to say that the only Koyai English face that looked with ■kindliness on the. young Princess of Wales was that of her '-father-in-law. "Fanner George." and when that countenance was clouded by insanity she was Jcft friendless at Court. The Princess Caroline of Brunswick was too highspirited a woman and too rash-tongued •to have the faintest chanee of success in her difficult role. All her life she did the most unwise things, and therefore gave her enemies plenty of opportunity to accuse her of sins she never, committed.- And yet. extravagant as were some iof her .actions, and calculated to rouse the ready tongue of scandal, the Princess was surely justified in her remark to ■ Hugh Elliot: "The only 'faux pas' I ever committed was my marriage with the •huslband of Mrs. Fitzherbert." FUIKXDf? IX EXILE. iShe bad many years as Princess of Wales and a little while as Queen of Engl md in wliich to repent that mistake. Practically exiled from Court at Blackheath, and denied the honors due to her rank, she had to console herself as best fihe might with giving little parties and talking to some of the most interesting men of her day. Walter Scott came to her parties, -and also Byron. Of Byron she wrote to one of her friends: "lie was all coulenr <de rose last evening. and very pleasant; he sat beside me at supper, and we were very merry. He is quite another man when he is wid people he like. ;iml who like him. than when he is wid oders who do not please him iso well. 1 always tell him there are two Lord Byrons, and when I invite him, I say. 1' ask the agreeable Lord Byron, not the disagreeable one. He take my iplaisariterie all in good part, and I Hatter myself T am rather a favoiite with Ibis great bard."