WIVES AS TEACHERS

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1933, Page 15

WIVES AS TEACHERS

QUESTION AGAIN DISCUSSED CASE IN CANTERBURY. FRANK EXPRESSION OF VIEWS. “I maintain .that when a young woman teacher gets married she should get out and give a single woman a chance,” emphatically declared, Mr. W. P. Spencer, chairman of the Canterbury Education Board, at the hoard’s last meeting. Mr. Spencer’s opinion upon . this., contentious matter was given. toward the close of a very candid discussion provoked by a motion by Mr. J. J. Hurley that the board should retain the services of a young unmarried' teacher in a Christchurch school and dismiss, failing the arrangement of a suitable transfer, a young married teacher, thus reversing the action of the board’s chief inspector following the recent re-grading of this school, when it was decided to dispense with the services of one of these two teachers. The unmarried woman had been given notice of the termination of her engagement at that particular school. Mr. Hurley stated that it was not upon the ground of efficiency that fie had brought the matter to the notice of the board. He protested against the fact that the board seemed to have no power in the matter. “The inspectors, through the regulations, have a stranglehold on the board,” he said. This particular matter already had been shelved fop three meetings of \ the board. The single teacher had received notice of the termination before the meeting three meetings ago. Mr. G. Benstead said that the appointments committee apparently had no power at all. QUESTION OF HARDSHIP. Mr. S. R. Evison, chairman of the appointments committee; It is not a fair construction that the appointments committee has no power at all. In thisparticular case there was not a strong enough argument to r etai £ overcome the normal method of app ying the regulation. ■ . . Mr. Benstead: May I ask the senior inspector, through the chairman, to read the regulations concerning the action taken by him in this case and .m other was some doubt by members whether the matter should be discussesd in open board. Mr. Thompson said diat it was too late to think of that. This view prevailed. . . - „ Mr. Hurley: The. only r moving Miss —- is that she has le m service, irrespective of her grading, Sh i. higher *»» *h«t «£ th. wnrf woman. If the -question is one of. hard ship the single woman is; an.easy wmne The married womans husband has hs own business and has a car. She employs a woman to look after her childThe single woman has to maintain an lt all revolves round the question of the employment of married women. Until we get nd of a lot of married women there will be a lot of young men and women going round the streets without jobs. STATEMENT BY THE INSPECTOR. Mr. A. McNeil, senior inspector, said that it was a pity that.the Jg d been discussed in open hoard. He stated that the grading of a school depended TtM®nd?nce. The for the■ selection, of the. teachers to be transferred rested with him, he had not sought it. In cases of this nature he worked upon the principle of transferring the teacher last appointed unless there were exceptional c . stances. He had not found any in this Ca Mr. Evison said that the appointments committee had been satisfied that if the married woman had been dismissed the circumstances were such that her appeal would have been successful m CourtMr. Thompson said that if the board dismissed this married woman as a married woman it would be imposing great hardship upon her. , • Mr. Spencer: I am not in favour of retaining married women when .there are young men and women without Jobs. Mr. Thompson: It is almost sure tha Miss — — will be given a transfer. Upon being given some confidential information upon the matter by the secretary Mr. Hurley agreed to withdraw his motion. “But,” he said, “I have doubt if the board is of any use at all.