TEACHING GIRLS

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 144, 21 June 1922, Page 8

TEACHING GIRLS

HOW TO COOK.

"That home science be made _an optional instead of a. compulsory subject in secondary schools," . was a motion which was discussed at length at the Council of Education to-day. . -

Dr. E. Bryson (Levin) considered that the present course' in domestic science at the schools was proceeding along the wrong lines. She did not think that such stress should be laid on the teaching of cookery, which was a comparatively j simple subject. The girls could be trained in home, .duties, in their own hours.* Too much time was being wasted on certain subjects of the domestic course. '..-■■■■■ 1 ' Miss -E. A. Chaplin, (Cliristchurch) disagreed with the. views of Dr. Bryson, j contending that the present system was productive of good results. .Mr. T.R. Fleming (Otago) said. that in the primary schools girls had to spend two years in learning cookery, and then, when they went to' the secondary schools, they had to put in a^ further three years1 on the same subject. If a, i girl wished to go in for a. professional I career she should have the option of taking up another subject than domestic science at the high school On that point he' agreed with Dr. Bryson. - Miss E. R. Wilson (Auckland) said there were a great many homes ■in this country, where the girls were not domesticated. She herself would be very sorry to partake of meals cooked by some [girls. The ' teaching of a three-year .course in domestic science at the junior hijrh schools was necessary.. ■ The discussion was adjourned iiPorder to .allow of a suitable amendment to .the motion being framed. ! '