Women on School Committees.

Thames Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 10524, 24 April 1907, Page 4

Women on School Committees.

Apropos of School Committee elections it is interestingl to note -that the Y":i,ldhursit primary school (Christohurch) is coaxttirolled 'by 'a committee composed entirely o£ women, and tlhjat- the innovation, hasi been working Batißlfaictori.lv for three years. The .members.!? ay they 'have .'been very well treated by everyone. When, they first took office some of their neighbours were inclined to lookaipon them witih suspicion, pw-. haps with >a lititie pity but when tho householders saw that, they intended to carry (out their duties in a quiet and businesslike Way, they Ibegian. to think that there niaighfr not, be any objection to ■» commi^ee of women after 1 all. Now they Seemed to hlave entire conifidenlce iii the administration, and the men .declared that they hiid no desire to undertake work agav, which lihe women couldi do so well. The chairwoman, in a recent interview with a reporter, was very careful to make it pla,in that, she 'had no fault, to find with the Way the men had donp their world. They were very 'busy, she said, and occupied with other affairs, and they could not foe expected to understand! children, as well as -women did. But she thought that without reflectling on the men, in any Way, she "efeuild gay that the general condition of the. school had been much improved,during the.past tlhree yelars. 'the teachers and' thte children felt that more sympathetic 'attention Was b^ing given, to their affairs, that their ii> terests Were being closely, watahfj, and that the committee was anxious <o give then! all the assistance it oouM Tlhe imembers of the oomniittee were : a|l ready-to acknowledge the courtesy ,$W frail received'from'the. lnen, even from those; they' Jliiad supplanted' in thei mahagerneiiit of ifod school. "They say they don't mean tb^twke' up i,h'o: work a,2*aiii," ons' ! siriiUti^!ly.7erpMne.l 'now they see we ..Can .doit. so-well." Tf??-?! 1'?1 W& some tinflinpr disadvantages, ifeoWeved?, .in! haivilik a committee 'coirP' posed entirely of women. Just now the Yaldlhwr&t ladies are arranging fai I>.V among their male Mends to do wme •fencing and' other work about the' -fifehool, which they are Scarcely able to "undertake 'tih'emseilves. "If We weronly men," tflile. secretary 'protested, "we shouldn't have to worry the husbands" and brother's." They do not claim that women should monopolism the! maniagement, of the school; indeed, they think that a mixed con;mittee, especially in tibe towns, Would be' 'betterl than one composed wholly of Women; :but •ffiiey 'bel-ieVe that tlia memlbers of tfeir sex are' always capalbl'e of doing*! gjoodi work where children have td Sbie oared'^o*. and the fl.?--sultis they JWarvfei achieved justify their TieE'eif.