THE SEWING MISTRESS

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIX, Issue 13108, 23 April 1903, Page 6

THE SEWING MISTRESS

EARNS FIVE POUNDS A YEAR. HER BANISHMENT FROM THE SCHOOLS. One of the indictments made against the colonial scale of teachers' salaries, when it •was first put into operation, was that it had been the means of banishing the sewing mistress from the public schools, as it made no provision- for paying her a salary. When this was pointed out by the Boards, it was arranged to make provision, in- other directions, but this, also, was deemed unsatisfactory.

The matter has beer, dealt with by the North Canterbury Board of Education several time*,' and- came up again yesterday, when a memorandum was read from the Sec-rets-ry, stating that in January last the Board wis informed by the Department 'that provision for sewing mistresses was made under the manual and technical instruction regulations. The Board had looked into the matter, and had found that the average annual earnings of sewing "mistresses under the regulations would be, approximately, £5. Thereupon, the. Board had agreed to inform the Department that- the provision made was inadequate for the teaching of sewing in the smaller schools in charge of masters, and suggested that a grant should be made, to enable the Board to employ sowing mistresses. On Feb. 27, the Department acknowledged the receipt of the Board's letter. The regulations required that instruction should be given for not le-ss than two hours a- week regularly throughout the school year. To comply with the regulations, each year particulars of the classes, with a. programme of work and other details, had to be forwarded, to Wellington ; at the end of each year returns oi' the attendance must be also submitted to the Department; and, in all cases, the Inspectors had to sign the forms. A letter was read from the Chairman of the' Itotherham Committee asking that a sewing mistress should be appointed, as there were more than twenty girls attending the school. An application was also read from, the Balcairn Committee.

A tabulated statement placed before the Board showed that there were thirty-six schools in the district that had no sewing teachers, and it would cost £IBB 10s a year to supply the whole of them, at the present rate. Some of the teachers, who would have to walk a considerable distance, would cam £1 a year, others £1 10s, £5, £5 and so on, the largest sum being £9. Mr Hardy, chairman of the Board, said that the Department ought to do something in the matter, as sewing and darning were verv important branches of instruction.

Mr Buddo said he had calculated that if sewing-mistresses were appointed to the thirty-six schools still unprovided, they

would earn about Is 3d an hour. It was obvious that the work was underpaid. He moved that the Department should be informed of the necessity for providing sew-ing-mistresses for country schools, and that attention should aguin.be drawn to the urgent necessity for paying an adequate salary, at least 50 per cent'more than is paid "under tho manual and technical regulations.

Air Dalziel seconded the motion, which was supported by Air Opie, and carried. Members also referred to the red-tapeism necessitated by the filling in of many forms.