RANKS OF NURSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22818, 27 August 1937, Page 13

RANKS OF NURSES

A CLOSED DOOR GIRLS FROM COUNTRY EDUCATION HANDICAP FORM OF " SCHOOL SNOBBERY " [by TKiiEGHArir —own con it kston df.nt] ! NEW PLYMOUTH, Thursday Tlio rulo debarring girls without a post-primary education from tho nursing profession was described at the New Zealand School Committees' Conference as a form of school snobbery. Relaxation of tho practice by hospital boards for three years was strongly urged. Tho suggestion was contained in a remit from the North Taranaki Association. The conference also decided to lodge a protest with the Government on the grounds that an injustice was being done to country girls who had received no higher than a primary education. "It is a form of school snobbery," said Mrs. W. J. Wright (North Taranaki), in moving the remit, "and it is a snobbery that is actually very injurious to country girls who cannot attend high schools. We should not allow the system as it stands to penalise children who cannot and will never have a chance to attend a high school. This also applies to girls in poor circumstances in towns who could not attend a high school. Retrograde Step

"It is a retrograde step and is taking us back 50 years," said Mrs. Wright. "We want good healthy girls in our hospitals, and who could be more suitablo than those from the country? Until facilities for high school education can bo extended to all children in tho backblocks the Minister of Health should bo asked not to debar them from the nursing profession." The remit was seconded by Mrs. C. Benton, who mentioned that some of the best nurses and trained sisters were those who had had no secondary education.

There should be no discrimination in the matter of entrants to the nursing profession, said tho Rev. Hugh Graham (Otago). If tho position was as stated it seemed to bo somewhat anomalous that girls should bo debarred becauso they had not certain academic qualifications. Specialised Nursing The explanation made by hospital authorities was that in these times of specialised nursing it was necessary that a girl should have a high school education, said Mrs. "Wright. "I admit that," she declared, "but how many of our nurses have been trained to be specialists? Tho ultimate aim is to take the standard to matriculation, which would cut out far more than I have already mentioned. Another explanation is that when nurses go to England to continue their training they are at a disadvantage if they have had no secondary education, but how "many do go to England? Why should the common herd be cut out for a few specialists?"