TEACHING POSTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19891, 20 March 1939, Page 14

TEACHING POSTS

SELECTION ON GRADE BOARD WANTS DISCRETION MARRIED WOMEN'S CLAIMS The possibility of securing an amendment to the Education Act by which the discretion formerly given to education boards would be restored in connection with the appointment of married women as teachers wis discussed at length at the monthly meeting of the Hawke's Bay board, held on Friday in Napier. A majority of the board favoured a motion offered by the chairman, Mr. G. A. Maddison, asking the Government to amend the existing legislation. It.was stated by the chairman that in 1938 the Government had passed an amendment making it obligatory on education boards to make appointments on the grading marks of the respective applicants, regardless of their sex or matrimonial status. The amendment, he said, had acted to the disadvantage of young teachers fresh from the training colleges, and even in the cases where married women had been absent from the profession for many years they had to be appointed if their grading marks, at the time of their last employme.it as teachers, were higher than those of young and single applicants. "Instability of Employment" The chairman held that the position thus created was anti-social, definitely prejudicing the chances of employment for young teachers, and tending to undermine the responsibility of home-making which he believed to be the first responsibility of a married woman. There was also instability of employment to be considered, a large proportion of the married women employed by education boards having to be given special leave of absence for family reasons. The difficulty of obtaining relieving teachers was another aspect which boards had to consider. Mr. T. A. Coleman' supported the chairman, and seconded his motion. He felt that the rights' of married women teachers would be well cared for by the boards if discretionary powers were restored. This view wasshared by Messrs. G. H. Cooke and T. Rowe. Guiding Principle Mr. J. S. Wauc'hop opposed the motion, on the ground that efficiency should be the guiding principle in making appointments. He agreed that some provision for re-grading should be made so that teachers who had long left the profession might be properly placed on rejoining it. It was well known that some women were far more successful in teaching than in home-making, and that if they employed help in the home while they taught school they achieved efficiency in both directions. Mr. Wauchop added that not, long ago the board had put out an "SOS" to the married women teachers, when a serious shortage of young teachers was felt. They should not be in a hurry to turn their backs en the married women teachers now that the shortage was a thing of the past. The chairman replied that if the present conditions were allowed to continue in the teaching profession, there should be no objection to similar conditions in other State departments. The standing objection was that such conditions would upset economic conditions and undermine the home life of the Dominion. Mr. Wauchop suggested with a smile that the married woman should have their feet bound, as were those of Chinese women. The chairman replied, in the same vein, that a leg-rope would be required for some. The chairman's motion was carried by a majority vote.