MAKING MANLY BOYS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 143, 20 June 1925, Page 16

MAKING MANLY BOYS

WOMAN TEACHER'S ATTACK.ON

MAN-MADE METHODS.

While an attack was made at the National Association of Schoolmasters' Con-, ference at Nottingham recently on the teaching of boys by women, a spirited dofence of. this system was made at the conference of the National Union of teachers at Oxford. A resolution pledging the Schoolmasters' Conference to afford full financial support to any member who refuses to submit to inspection by a woman inspector o£ the physical training of boys in his charge was carried. -,"*■'

Mr. Foster, Newcastle, said there was a man on the platform ■-.who had been in th? Army as an instructor to physical instructors, and it would be a. gross indignity and insult to manhood that ho and his work should' be inspected by a woman. There was great amusement which lie had had;'to pay threepence.' a letter from someone in Edinburgh on which he had had to. pay.-threepence. The writer began:—"l thank God there is a, man here and there 'who is not afraid to;stand np and tell women' what'they are in the economics of the w0r1d."..'.:

■ Mr. Barraclough said he believed; we ■were on the evo of a. great educational" advance, and the British public were;.prepar.ed to pay for efficient education.

-Miss L. Burrows, of Quorn, Leicestershire," declared that the Government scheme, of reorganisation of schools would mean the abolition of the infant schools as such. She added: "This is a visionary, mad-headed, and unconscionable scheme. There is to be the silly and unhealthy system of segregation of boys and girls in the schools. That is a principle which ought to be relegated to madhouses aiid asylums. It is a product of the pugnacious prancings of the National Association of Schoolmasters. (Laughter.) I think segregation is a vicious principle. It is right that you should have manly principles put into the boys.; but women have not been behindhand in doing that. - You aro more likely to get a perfect man when you have ,got a perfect woman somewhere in the neighbourhood. (Laughter and cheers.) I am certain it is not necessary to have the drill sergeants to put manly principles into the breasts of boys." ("Hear, hear.,"). ,