THE SEXES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 69, 22 March 1915, Page 3

THE SEXES.

TEACHERS* CLASSIFICATION PROBLEM.

AN AMUSING DEBATE.

(By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.")

WELLINGTON, Saturday.

\, Dominion classification of teachers is an ideal of. thej profession which was (brought appreciatively nearer by the last Education Act, but it brings in its train.a fresh problem involving a very big question. This was illustrated at a meeting of the Wellington Education Institute, when a motion was discussed standing, in the name of Mis 3 Bright, "That in a system of grading based on efficiency, and. service there can be only one graded list of all teachers."

Miss Bright said there might be advantages in having two lists, one of men aud one of women teachers, but if there was to be a system of grading based on efficiency and service, -there could be only one list. ■'; ■-■ A g woman teacher had to go through the same preparatorj' work as a male teacher, and there should be no difference, made, therefore, between the two. It waß the same in regard to service.

Miss Myers said that the principle had already been affirmed that merit, and merit alone, should count in grading, and it certainly had been a surprise to her to find in the evidence of the president- of the New Zealand Educational Institute before the Parliamentary Education Committee, a personal favouring of the two scheme principle. The Institute asked for a scheme based on efficiency and service. Then the male element in the gathering discussed the principle, Mr. MoKenzie making a cautious opening by proposing that the matter be adjourned until they could get more necessary inI formation. It was not quite clear what I the resolution would cover, if it were carried. If it meant a promotion scheme for the teachers of the Dominion, for instance, it should be carefully considered. Mr. B. T. Blake seconded this amendment. If the proposal meant that women teachers were to enter into open competition for the headmastership of boys' schools, and men teachers were to have | a similar privilege in regard to girls' schools, let the motion be carried. (Applause and laughter.) But in that j case, there were several schemes or features of schemes to be first coni sidercd.

In reply to Mr. W. Foster, the chairman said that nothing was before the Institute officially in regard to a grading scheme. They had nothing officially to report upon. When the chairman took the voting upon the amendment it' was evident from the show of bands, that the forces, male and female, were openly hostile. With the exception of two or three of the elderly men, who "voted with the ladies, the sexes were divided. The voting •proved equal, and, amidst laughter, the chairman gave his casting vote against the adjournment of the motion. Miss Bright then-altered ;hex;mo,tipn as suggested by Mr. Foster, a brief debate followed between tbe opposing forces, and, upon, a final vote being taken on the amended.motion, the result was favourable to the men, 34 to 32, and the motion was lost.