WOMEN TEACHERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20618, 20 November 1941, Page 6

WOMEN TEACHERS

WAR SERVICE PROBLEM UNITS OVERSEAS MATTER OF POLICY (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A request by a woman teacher for information as to whether the board approved of women teachers applying for overseas service in the Voluntary Aid Detachment and whether it would be prepared to safeguard the interests of such teachers caused a long discussion at yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Education Board. Members considered that an important matter of policy was involved. The executive was instructed to investigate and report to the board. Colonel T. W. McDonald said: “The war is the most essential thing. If the services of these women are required overseas, and they wish to go, we should let them go and do everything to safeguard their interests.” Mr. L. J. McDonald said that to place education and the needs of wfar in competition was not getting the problem in the correct perspective. There were far more applicants than vacancies for V.A.D, service. The war effort would 'riot 'suffer if women other than teachers were selected. Depleted Staffs On the other hand, if the ranks of women teachers were depleted the schools would suffer without aiding the war effort. “No one wishes to raise a finger to hinder the war effort,” continued Mr. McDonald. “On the contrary, We would do all we can the other way, but we must be careful to see that we are not influenced by hysteria into doing irrational things. I think that our schools have been more greatly depleted of teachers than any others in the British Empire.” The chairman, Mr. W. V. Dyer: I think the department would rather this board gave an expression of opinion regarding the principle. I have no doubt that the department would grant the same protection as for men. The question of whether the board can approve of women teachdrs going overseas should be looked into. I would be very loth for our women teachers to go if other members of the community were available to do the work. Social Services Necessary Mr. S. C. Hyridman:. I feel that the board should riot encourage women teachers to volunteer along these lines. ■Notwithstanding that the winning of the war is of vital importance, the social services must be maintained. If we are going to encourage our .trained teachers, who are doing national service just as much as those who have gone overseas, to volunteer .for this scheme, we will be making the staffing position more difficult. The board would not be acting in jhe national interest if it encouraged enlistments, of this kind. The chairman: I had ih mind to move that if a teacher were selected we would safeguard her interests to the fullest extent, but 1 feel that the general question of the desirability of teachers going overseas needs the fullest consideration. We should set up a committee or ask.the executive to confer with the department'to See. .how far this is likely to go. Because of Territorial training, going op. at the same time as men are being called for overseas, the position as regards male teachers is rapidly becoming very serious.

The secretary, Mr. W. L. Deavoll, said that the emergency regulations applied to teachers in His Majesty’s Forces and it was 'not clear whether women teachers applying for voluntary 'ehlistrribnt as V.A.D’s would be covered.