WOMEN TEACHERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 113, 14 May 1940, Page 4

WOMEN TEACHERS

CONFERENCE OPENED

The twenty-sixth annual conference of the New Zealand Women Teachers' Association opened in Wellington yesterday. Mrs. A. Fouhy; (Masterton) presided. In welcoming delegates, she said that in the past conferences had oeen so hurried that a full discussion of vital problems had not been-, possible. At some possible inconvenience to delegates, the executive .had. arranged for an extended conference, and it was hoped that that experiment would prove of benefit.

The extended conference this year, . stated the annual report, was an eni deavour on the part of the to give members and women generally a better opportunity for consideration of those aspects of education'which were of particular interest to women. So far nothing had come of the protests made to the Minister of Education >6nd to the executive of the New Zealand Educational Institute against the inclusion in the new salary scale of the principle of differentiation on a sex basis.

The afternoon session was devoted to the discussion of remits. One proposing that there should be at least one woman on the committee which selects and interviews the entrants to the training colleges was carried, A remit that all classes in the primary schools be reduced to a maximum of 30 was also carried.

A discussion on retarded children was initiated by Miss E. Casley (Auckland) and Miss V. Hayward (Otago), who stressed the necessity for differentiation between- types of retardatesmental defectives and temporary retardates as the result of illness or irregular attendance. The work, it was stated, was very difficult and specialised training was urgently required. The following remit was carried: — "That where necessary there should be an opportunity class for retarded children in every school . and that special training should be made available for teachers wishing to specialise in any form of. retardate class work."

The election of office-bearers resulted:—President, Miss J. G. Park (Wellington);, vice-presidents, Mrs. A. Fouhy (Masterton) and Miss E. B. Lea, A.T.C.L. (Auckland); honorary secretary, Miss B. G. Kirk (Wellington); honorary treasurer, Miss M. E. Schwebe (Canterbury); executive, Misses E. Casley (Auckland), J. Sellar (Masterton), E. B. Pay (Marlborough), and H. Fraser ' (Canterbury).