MARRIED WOMEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3958, 21 January 1930, Page 35

MARRIED WOMEN.

CANTERBURY BOARD FAVOURS RESTRIt TION.

< HRISTCHURCH. January 17. A deputation from the Linwood School (ommittee recently waited on the ( anter/i<i \ Kuucation Board s Appointments ( ommittee and urged that married women teachers should not be employed if their msbands are in a position to support tliein. lhe Appointments Committee recommended the deputation to trv to have the law amended, 'lhe question come before the board to-dav

Air E. 11. Andrews said that the husbands of some married women teachers received large salaries, and their children also earned money. The board could not lay down a policy, as the law would net allow it to do so, but it could express a definite opinion.

Alt T. Hughes said that there was controversy in the Old Countrv on th question.

■Y I '?'.- Johnson said that the Auckland and Wanganui Boards had expressed strong opinions on the question. Air W. A. Banks said that tuc position was more difficult than members seemed to think. t nder a grading system it would be a hard job to keep out a teacher with the highest status.

lhe following motion, moved by Mr Johnson, was passed: The board ’is unanimous in reiterating its opinion as to the desirableness of restricting the employment of married women te.ichors."

VIEWS OF MR J. WALLACE,

J. Wallace (ehairinan of the Otago Education Board) informed our representative that it was the polny of the Otago Board not to appoint married women to positions if there was evidence that their husbands were able to support them. There were, however, married women in the service of the board in Otago.

1 consider that the senior inspector could have got over the difficulty quite well if he had agreed that the teacher with the next highest number of marks was the most suitable one for the position. Mr Wallace added when it was pointed out that the telegram stated that the inspector had no alternative but to recommend the appointment. as the woman had the highest grading marks of all the applicants. The Act which covered the matter. Air Wallace continued, stated that in the case of the appointment of a teacher who was not the applicant with the highest number of grading marks, the board and the senior inspector must agree. If they disagreed the teacher with the highest number of marks must be appointed. The applicant with the highest number of marks was not necessarily the most suitable person for a position, but the board and the inspector must agree on that point. As a matter of fact the boards throughout New Zealand, while agreeing that a grading system was necessary, were dissatisfied with the present system. They thought that there should be a certain amount of elasticity of which the boards could take advantage. * lhe Otago Board. Air Wallace concluded. had always looked unfavourably on the appointment of relatives to the same school