TRAINING OF GIRLS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2002, 9 March 1914, Page 2

TRAINING OF GIRLS.

INTERESTING DISCUSSION.

ißy Tele.zrepli.—PMis issodctioii.) Clsborne, JlarcU 7. An interesting discussion on tho etiuontiwtt of girls took irlnce a:t the W.C.'f.U. t'oiive.uti.oll to-day, 'flics Mayor (Mr. J. It. Kirk), w)iq was a laeiiibor of the Eddciition Coiniiiissian, was present by invitation.

Mr. Kirlc said tba-t lie had no fault to liiijl witii gitls being given ihc same facilities in ethieation as boys. \\'hat was wrong with owi" sys'tejii of educatioij was that it was not practical eiicmgh.. CJiildreii were taaglit a great dial at school Js'hicl) was of little use to them in after life. As an instance ho liad been taught- shorthand, type-writing, and lifltin ai icliool, and-tow tycould tmi write shorthand, lio coulfl not work' a typo-write, and jio could not speak Lathi. When liis v;ifo had io shrf| liou.sO ho was absolutely worthless qs 31 raciare*]Jßiigcr—an aii.S'ohito "Undo Podger," in fart. Hβ felt that tins was also SB iit regnrd .to tho traiuittg et girts, who ouglit Iβ be fitted to bo ftioMiors of the- nation. Yet jtjsfc at tho age of adolescenCß it appearwl that the ■present system was sapping tlieir streugtb. Ke Jiad cykicnte from tho p.rmcijral ef tho Training Colicgo in 0«ii» ediii, *ho wje tho fn-ttef of girts, io tho effect that the present system oi' training was detrimental ta health. "Can you. D.otj" said Jlr. Kirk, to the delegate, "give seme o-Sprossion of opiifion ■ii-ljj.ch maj proinpt tho Miflistpx of I£dnMtion to put atv Aot on tlie Statute tsoe-k whieh w-ill be tlic turnilig-peint in regard to the cdß.catkii of tie girls of Kew Zealand V EEc would suggest that tlicy riieuW fl.ppomt two repFeW*ita,v«-cs to iatervksw the Hotu 3tr. Ailfiii in Wellington, A csujjcil lrad heeii set tip to dsal with' education ilt New Zeiiknct, atlct why should not women be oit that cmifivfl? (Applause.)

Mrs. Atkinson if sited what subjects tho Mayor would suggest for differentiation flejng niadc betvfeen "Boys *fld grrfs, Mr. Kirk replied that ie Would start after tjio Fiftli Stantia.rd. He was now feferrmg partißitlafly to children who hact no"oh.a.ueo of being sent away # Secondary scheols.

Mrs. T, K. Taylor Said that there S'tie'm.ed to be a ivatehfti'l eye kept 611 ctomestio scicaieo in the secondary schools, but there were a great many girls wlio Mi school hoforo getting ns far' as a secondary school. • What ■tbo union should aim at was to try tt) get iho - Minister of Education and. the: boards to allow a littlo more time for .doineiiic science in. tho fifth and Sixth standards. Sire admitted tlvni girls staifld have a goad gro-uftdin.g in Mutation, and especially in English, but ii> wfts mere imperative tljiif they , BBOulcf be taught to take ca*e of the. home. It was' not .possible , to- train gids in the homo nolv as it ones was, as the wages offering tempted, them tb te.ko tip wijrk of spino kind or anotJie'r. Tlio present Minister of Education jtiid" the Ins.peetor-Gen&ral .of Schools were , y&s 'linen pit tills sftiijeet, fiid w-&-o quite wilting to listen to an}- roasoiia«o suggestions, afid if women did riot make t'hfem it wotttd tie tllcir own ttiilt.

M:jss Hendm-son, M.4., said that she had beta) a liigh school tcaejiej for mmf y-ea-rs, and used tq teach girls ■ between, ths ages of 13 and 20 dtfmosfifi.; wieii.ee,. As. far .«is djteeiitaoli.oii .'iii: : thfe education between girls . jpid fo'oye ' was coiicerncid, she lifld n&t found tliat' Birte liro'ke devfln.-: lyljde'safc "Theilou:blo was to gat, girls to yi'ij.i'k. hard : PMrtigli. What was wrong'with gixls who wont to high schools was' flip man-' nor ijt wliieh tJieir parents treated tli&m at Ijonjfc Girls of 1:5 and 10 were, allowed in somo iio.ines to 6c dut to il o'dook at night. Ottiofs u-eto jiHoWgd to do their hoiive lessons in trlie sanio imm tts the fatally; aftd Kstead of doing ttietf work tey to*k part in tlie conversation. Slaiiy girls, after lejmiiß the prinitirv Btfatok, went fltafc to work in factories, aiid: some peoplo thought . Siat ihosii ■giris, When tlipy eanio home at- idght, EhouM start learning ]wv- to piai?e o«ielottes. Sh* did not see tliafc tliis Wfis Fair. Miss HehdefsMi eowlnded' by fejyiJlg that' pli.e-' *M 4 not see- ivlvj' the W.C.f,U. should Jnake a" retinest tor differejitiWrori iii edu<inf.io.n between boys' and girls, (iirls slwuld 'be allowed, 'tci ■foilo-w tlieir bent i'f.Miey dfestrccl t<s. llio speafer vefOErcd to this, te.eput Gomrrii*sion oB Ethi.cat'iGij, ami ssid that was , metistrous tli«t no Wonion Were iiicjujjted or to'? coniniissimi. Tim l-espoHsihißtj' of training tho oMMmh was tlirust upon the shctfldei's of Womoii, even if they were not'a.!lp.wod to : hti'i'e a liftnd in feamiiig tlie syHabng. A good fleaJ.ef .evidence gjven before the cpimji.issi.6ii «-as pi'ejiicliße.d, in favoiir of tlie' niale Ec-S) espdoiajly wJsbi; it cartie to tlio qucS' tion of fixing salarie?. 'The ( suggestion to ijaVo.iTOnien upon tlie Advis.dw Coni.ifiil was a good one, ajid etw liopect tjiat Irelore .they rase fl fecQnt.me.i.ida.tien U> ■that offe<;t would be rWade.

Mrs. fieM then moved; • That a 'coinroittee, consisting of Mrs. Evans, Dr. Ganw, and Miss Henderson, power t<; add to their ntmib&r, be set «p to ■tii'sßuss and suggest \vhat steps steitld l>6 in cuftnectWH Vvitlh the formation of the proposwl Beard." Miss Roberts seconded , th& lnotiort, stating that .die Imped that nothing iyould'te do.irt at that coiivfentieii «-hkii ttWiW jeftpardisp tlte advantages ijj -firl.iifWtio.ii whiftTi women fisd so 'hardly \r<m. She desired to seo that erofy bny and ■gifl had the right to go fi-ohi ttw priinarv school right tliroiagh to the Uni,Vftrsttv ftee.

Mrs". Atkinson lidvocated tlxat a few mfrilths of thn last yeaf of n ijifl's life at sdjtool f-hould ftp .spent in a kinfcrSfiftsn in ordfeS t« sliov, , ihepi tlw Iwaut.y. of chiMrea. Many girls rngnrdeiil eiiiidreii as a nui.sanoe, listt if they lypj-e iireught into ctassl , touch with thp. JittJe frnes lit the kjivdm-gartef! it *»uld teach ■tjipin that cliildmi wor& lovjiMe, T!i6 niotiou was carried u.riartiri)mis.ly.