THE BUSH TEACHER

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12491, 18 March 1909, Page 1

THE BUSH TEACHER

Some- plain 'tales of experiences of .country" teachers were read by Mr McLachlan to_ the Legislative Assembly during the debate on the Teachers' Salaries Bill (report's "the "Melbourne Argus") : — . "My lodgings were indescribable, wrangling, profane language and filth added'to bad food. I generally rose and prepared my own breakfast. The girl would come into the kitchen and cut my lunch — -two lorry wheels of bread and butter and' plum jam. (Laughter). I always had my breakfast in the kitchen, and often Indian hawkers came: in too, and prepared theirs at the fire. My bedroom" was away from the rest of the house, and the hawkers were allowed to sleep near it. Often I was so frightened I never slept the whole night. The living room whero we had the evening meal was little better Hhan the kitchen. There was no ; covering on tho floor, two forms, a few chairs, an old sofa, and a fireplace with half the Bricks loose- •■ "Several times during the winter 1 reached Home to find the" children's cots in the living room. The poor children were' ; suffering f rom bronchitis. Nevertheless, it is had to be constantly, eating Your food surrounded by beds and children, coughing, the place reeking with the smell of stale eucalyptus. Often at such times the mother would go off to- a dance and calmly say, "They will he quite safe in your hands for the rest of the evening.'- The Indian hawkers used to he invited to play cards, and I used to take a hand. ."'-'_ . , "The food and treatment I received began to tell on my health. . . It was necessary for me to stay sometime after the dismissal of the school to sweep, and dust my room, and prepare some of my work. I dreaded those hours 'by myself in that lonely country school more than one could imagine. I felt .terrified the wholo time and had very good reasons tor feeling alarmed." •. A seventh-class teacher, who gave up teaching in the country to accept a lower eighth-class position in Melbourne, describedhow /the first thing the teacher arid children did when arriving at school in the winter was to change their boots and stockings. She further wrote :-"At. Christmas time my landlady was given a holiday by her lord and master, and during her three months' absence domestic ar< rangements were in the hahds of a female-said to ho a relative- of questionable character.. As she became pronouncedly addicted to drink, my meals suffered in. consequence. On frequent Occasions my landlord and this female drove out, to the"*u» store, and several times culminated the evening'-s amusement by capsizing the gig Family . complications ensued, laid, a son and daughter left home, and the remaining daughter displayed open enmity to this ostensible aunt" This teacher found accommodation in another house, where she found conditions much pleasanter, "for, following on my change of abode, l the people of the district began calling on me. I had interpreted their failure to do so in my previous habitation as being characteristic of country custom." In the end she returned to Melbourne as ah eighth-class assistant at a salary of . £80. In another case the teacher said, "the mother of the family told me her sons and daughters were not respectable characters, Wd to be sure to lock my room at night." She bought a pony, but as the sons, insisted o.n escorting her^vheh she went out, sold i\ again, and. afterwards returned to an eighth class position. Another teacher described her sleeping apartmenl as 6ft square, with no floor, and a rooi that she could easily touch, and sh« had a walk of two and a half miles tc school. - ■•';■--■■■■