TEACHERS BARRED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20619, 21 November 1941, Page 6

TEACHERS BARRED

V.A.D. DUTY OVERSEAS TARANAKI RESENTMENT AUTHORITY QUERIED (Per Prosfl Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, this day. “We teachers are here under false pretences,” a V.A.D. declared last night when an appeal was made at New Plymouth for volunteers for service overseas. Her remark followed a statement by Mrs. C. A. Taylor, the North Taranaki V.A.D. commandant, that school teachers were not eligible for selection. She felt this was not right, Mrs. Taylor said, and she advised teachers with the necessary qualifi-/ cations to offer themselves and apply to the education authorities for leave. It would be a pity to leave teachers out because tney were a very fine type of V.A.D., commented Mrs. G. Miller, one of the two selectors sent to Taranaki by the St. John Ambulance commandery. Two teachers were among those who volunteered for overseas service last night, and strong exception was taken by their colleagues to the bar against the profession. It asked on whose authority teachers were excluded, whereupon Mrs. Taylor read a telegram received yesterday afternoon from, the Red Cross Society Headquarters. The comment was made that it Was strange the telegram came from the Red Cross Society and not the Government. On Mrs. Taylor’s advice, it was decided that teachers should enrol and allow the Taranaki Education Board, if it desired, to appeal against them going overseas.