GIRLS' EDUCATION

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 145, 16 December 1933, Page 5

GIRLS' EDUCATION

"BLIND ALLEY" JOBS

COLLEGE PRINCIPAL'S ADVICE

Addressing girls and parents at the annual prize-giving ceremony of the Wellington East Girls' College, tlie principal (Miss A. M. Batham) said it was the opinion of many people tliat education was merely "a moans to an end"—the end being "how to make a living." This to a certain extent was true. But there vrn« more in it than that. There was no room for idlers in this world. Every able-bodied girl should do her share of work —it might be 'in the homo, it might be in the office or workshop—no matter .where; she should do it well, and to do it well a good sound education was necessary. The education was there if girls would make full use of their opportunities. On the other hand, a girl must learn to use her leisure time, and her education should help her in that. , ' f "In the future,.'wli6n-our compulsory working hours are made shorter—this will probably come sooner or later to relievo unemployment —what are our girls to do in the extra leisure time?" continued Miss Batham. "We hope they will, while at school, learn to be interested in "one of many pleasures,/for which, now they have little spare time, such as music, reading, drawing, art in some form or other, perhaps some hobby involving hand work, etc. I a.«k the girls to do their part, and I ask TTTe parents then to give their girls the opportunity to continue their education as long as possible. "Do no rush them into a 'blind alley job.' for the sake of a few shillings. I regret that there have been some parents who have' done this during the year, and I am sorry for the girls, and also for their employers. They are too young, too uneducated, and too unfit to do their full share in the future as good citizens. At the same time, I know that many parents are only too ready to let the girls continue at school until a suitable position is found."