"Women Teachers Unwilling To Take Responsibility”

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28685, 8 September 1958, Page 12

"Women Teachers Unwilling To Take Responsibility”

(New Zealand Prpss Association)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 7. Women teachers in New Zealand were unwilling to take responsibility—even though they would get much higher pay for it, said the Director of Education (Mr C. E. Beeby) in Wellington on Saturday.

This was causing quite a serious problem, he said. If a boys’ high school advertised for a principal it got about 100 applicants, a girls’ high school advertising got about three. The women's reluctance to take responsibility was also shown in the small number of women who took the “tough” mathematic and science degrees In some cases men had to teach mathematics and science in girls’, schools because there were no women for the posts. The increased pay a woman

teacher would get by taking a responsible position made no difference, Mr Beeby said. Although a woman teacher getting £llOO a year would jump to, say, £l7oo— is high pay for a woman in any job in this country”—this was not an inducement.

“It is not a matter of salary. Even if we increased the salaries, it would not have any effect. I do not know how we can overcome this,” he said.

Mr Beeby said he did not know the reason for the women teachers’ attitude: but he suggested: “Perhaps they are happy enough on £llOO a year. They have a car, a flat, and can afford an overseas trip. The extra money may not make a great deal of difference to their way of life, and just bring them extra worry.”