THE SCHOOL OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16188, 25 September 1914, Page 4

THE SCHOOL OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE.

A correspondent, whose letter we publish this morning, is concerned respecting the future careers of the students of the University of Otago who take degrees and .diplomas in the School of Domestic Science. There does not seem to us to be any real cause for concern upon this point. The question that is raised by the correspondent is really the old one which was repeatedly put three years ago to supporters of the proposal for the establishment of a chair of Domestic Science. At that time it was, of course, not possible to reply to the sceptical with a statement of accomplished facts. The advocates of the scheme could only express their belief that as soon as trained students were ready positions for them would certainly present themselves—that the demand for teachers would be created as soon as the value of the work performed in the school was realised. To-day, however, it is possible to offer a reassuring reply to the persons who are prepared to look at the matter fairly and to submit for their consideration hard, cortvincing facts which are accumulating as the work in the school proceeds. A report from Professor BoysSmith, which was submitted to the University Council in April last, showed that the first two students had just received their degrees and both had immediately secured appointments. One of them received, as our correspondent is aware, the position of teacher of Domestic Science at lona College. The services of the other were required at the University to cope with the rapidly-increasing number of diploma students. Only one student, we learn, can complete her degree course this year, and she has already secured a lucrative position at a leading girls' college in Wellington. To the present time five students have finished their diploma course. One of them has become a teacher of Home Science subjects in the North Island, and one, being desirous of utilising in her home the knowledge she has acr quired, does not seek' appointment as a teacher. The other three, all ■ acting on the advice of the professor, have decided to obtain practice in teaching before applying for positions. It was impracticable to inaugurate every branch of the work at the outset of the course, and opportunities could not be provided in the first two years whereby students could practise the teaching of the domestic arts on scientific lines. During the past year, however, Professor Boys-Smith has been able to start practice classes for those students who .wish to become teachers, so that, in future, all young students can secure that practice in teaching which they must have before they can be recommended to important posts. We are informed, however, that of the three students who desired practice in teaching before they considered that they would be ready for work, one has secured a post for next year, and a second has within the last few days applied for a position which she has reasonable expectations of obtaining. Moreover, of the four students who will, it is hoped, secure their diploma next month, and have also had practice in teaching, three liave securcd well-paid positions in advance, and the fourth is at the present time one of two candidates for a good appointment in the North Island. It will be seen, therefore, that all but two of the twelve first students to secure degrees and diplomas have already obtained, or have a prospect of obtaining, appointments. It is to be recognised, at the same time, in connection with any course of study that if students begin the work veTy young—say, at seventeen or eighteen years of age—they will not be in a position to tnke positions in a couple of years; they will need practice and experience in the art of teaching before they can safely and with confidence be put in charge of the important work of teaching others. It has come about, therefore, that two valuable posts which were offered during the course of last year to a Domestic Science degree student, could not be filled from lack of a suitable student to fill them, no degree student being available. At a time, however, when the authorities of most of the leading schools for girls in England and America—whether

s private, proprietary, or jßiblie, whether 1 elementary or secondary—are including t domestic science ;is part of the recognised r curriculum and applying it to the teaching i of tho domestic arts, there should be no •I cause for apprehension that posts will not B become available in Now Zealand for • students trained in tho Homo Scienco dcB partment of the University. Nor should s the openings for these students be con- • fined to the teaching profession. As time - goes on it should be found that their 3 services are sought for such positions as - heads of boarding establishments and ins stitutions and as matrons of hospitals and f nursing homes where tho proper feeding s of invalids and infants is of oons si d arable moment. This is all apart 3 from tho unquestionable value to the 1 nation of training in domestic science as illustrated in the making of s good and wholesome homes which in their 3 turn can produce good and efficient citi--3 zens. The fact that the Home Science i student can command a higher rate of 1 remuneration than is secured by tho s average arts student suggests that, viewed s purely as an investment, the cost of trainr ing in Domestic Science is not imprudently f incurred. But the truer, wider outlook of 1 the whole question is only enjoyed by f those who think of the immense gain to a the dominion in that branch of—often f unpaid but highly important—labour i known as "women's work" involved in tho 3 recognition and existence of the scheme of , Home Science, f