College letter row

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34026, 15 December 1975, Page 2

College letter row

I (N.Z. Press Association) . 5 WELLINGTON. December 14. The education department is to look into its ‘ regulations for mothers., applying for teachers’ \ college. ;< < I Department officials 1 I yesterday met Student 1 ! Teachers’ Association reprei sentatives who have had : complaints from mothers ap- ■ plying for teachers’ college ‘ about letters sent to them i ■by the department. I The letters ask what pro-i

visions mothers will make: for their children’s care* while the mother is at a teachers’ college. The national president of the Student Teachers’ Asso-j ciation (Mr Alex Purves) | said that if the women were considered responsible enough to look after other children, they were com- 5 petent to make provision for their own. “I do not think the depart-1 ment has any responsibility s in this matter. If it has. why. isn’t it sending letters to married men and unmarried: women with children?” i Mr Purves said that the*

[letters had been sent out before. but the association had not had any complaints. “We have had quite a few this year. I think International Women’s Year may: have made the women more aware." Mr Purves said he asked the department officials to take the directive out of the . teachers’ college administrative manuals, and officials were sympathetic to this. He said that this was the beginning of a campaign by the Student Teachers’ Asso- ' ciation to get rid of disi criminatory regulations. /‘The whole lot needs revist'ing.”