WOMEN TEACHERS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14029, 28 April 1911, Page 4

WOMEN TEACHERS.

9 ALLEGED LIMITED PROMOTION. A grievance on tho part of women teachers camo before the Education Board yesterday in the shape of the following letter from tho honorary secretary of the North Canterbury Women Teachers' Association. "In one district there arc some halfdozen positions for women teachers in primary schools, where the commencing salary exceeds £'200. These are looked upon as the "prizes" in the profession, for which many teachers have served for more than twenty years in strenuous preparation, and the high finality of their work is vouched for by the Board's own inspectors. Jn most cases the promotion has been slow, and within lecent years wo have had to conform to two regulations—(a) at least two years must be spent in a position brioro further promotion; (b) two years must bo served in a country school. We have not questioned the wisdom of those rules, but wo did not anticipate that practically the best woman's position in Canterbury would be given to a junior assistant of a lower grade than J) 1, who has not been handicapped by these provisions, and whose experience (both Home and colonial) has been comparatively small. In this matter we are not moved by personal considerations, but by tho tact that the discouragement wrought by a recent appointment will prejudicially affect many teachers. In tho large schools of the district, many women are engaged in teaching tho standards. Experience has shewn that these have little chance of promotion, when the sought imposition is in an infant school. It seems to be taken for granted that experience in touching standards is a disqualification for infant work. Should this be so? There are very few women in primary schools who have not had some infant and kindergarten training, but it has been found that if, through force of circumstances, women are kept for any length of time at the standards, they are looked upon as ineligible foi infant work. Men standard teachers can look forward to promotion to headmasterships and inspectorships, but, apparently, no avenues are open to women teachers, who are doing just a<? arduous work in the standards. If the best-paid women are to bo the teachers of infants, then we ask that provision be made so that every woman teacher who so desires may get a share of the infant work in her school from time to time. The headmasters will, we are sure, be willing to cooperate in this matter. At present, the higher the certificate a woman holds, the more she is penalised in her efforts for promotion to infant work, is it fair that women should be thus hampered? If no relief on the lines suggested can be afforded, the only alternative that presents itself is the establishment of "separate girls' schoo.s in tho cities, for which, we believe, there would be considerable public support. These would offer a wider scop<s for those women whose work has been largely in the upper school." Mr Langford moved that the matter be referred to the Appointments Committee for consideration. The Chairman said the Board bad experienced great disappointment in many of their best qualified teachers not applying for tho position in question. It was decided not to further discuss the matter, and the motion was carried.