WOMEN TEACHERS IN THE COUNTRY.

Northern Advocate, 9 January 1920, Page 4

WOMEN TEACHERS IN THE COUNTRY.

A PLEA BY A VICTIM

liie trials of ihe woman teacher who

is sent to take charge of or teach in

back-country schools, discussed more than once at meetings of the Wellington Women Teachers' Association, arc, .some of tbem, exemplified in the lei tot quoted hereunder. It education board.-, and committees have taken steps in other countries to overcome their difficulties, then surely, it is contended, our educational authorities should take similar steps to smooth the way ot those whom they employ and for whoso well-being they arc really responsible.

The writer, who take the noin de plume of "'A Victim," and who writes from personal experience, states the position as follows: —

"Much thought at present is being given to educational reform, and in connection with that reform there are some matters dealing wiiu the life of the country teacher that urgently ueed being taken in hand. Women arc mostly placed in these country positions. The appointments are made by men, and they know little of the conditions. Would that women, where women are concerned, could have a place among these educational authorities. Little is heard from these self-sacrificing women teachers, who give up homes of refinement and comfort to go into the backblocks to give the children there the benefits of an education, and little is known of their hardships. Note the following:—On arrival in the district the usual welcome a teacher now gets j s —< No one wants to board the teach-

or.' She is finally taken in very begrudgingly and as a great favoui-, treated anyhow, knocked about from pillar to post, and is charged well for it. I can relate scores of instances, but these will suffice: —A teacher was sent to one district where she received the usiial welcome. One, and only one, door was opened to her, that of a widower with several little children. (She remained a week or two and left; and the kind community wondered what sort of a home she came from to go there. Insults follow injury as surely as night follows day. In another case, no door was opened at all but one where the teacher positively could not go. Sho rode 18 miles daily —9 miles each way—from another district to teach these people's children, until she dropped out and was lost to the board.

"In Australia no teacher is sent into the country until proper and suitable accommodation is guaranteed. Should the teacher on arrival not find these conditions fulfilled she returns, and at the expense of the committee. A imilar duty should devolve on education boards and school committees in this country, and where suitable board is not procurable, anu where the country people show themselves unwilling to meet the teacher's needs, the teacher should be withdrawn, as in Australia, until the people of that district are able to appreciate the work sho has come to do among them and to meet the needs of the case. In America tho first duty of the school trustees is to find suitable accommodation tor their teacher. They also meet the teacher on arrival and take her to her destination. In the name of common decency and justice some such method ought to be adopted here."