COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20285, 20 April 1934, Page 8

COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

The Conference Considers Education Matters Education matters formed the first subject for discussion at to-day’s session of the National Council of Women. The president, Miss B. E. Carnachan. was in the chair. The School Age. On behalf of Auckland, Miss E. Newton moved the following remit: “The National Council of Women deplores the exclusion from New Zealand’s primary schools of all children until they are within a few weeks of their sixth birthday, believing this to be contrary to the best interests of the children, especially those whose parents were unable to provide supervised playing areas, or to pay the fees of a private kindergarten, and therefore seeks an alteration to the Act to admit their earlier admission ” Miss Newton said that the present prohibition on children under six years of age was an imposition on many parents whose circumstances were not affluent, and as the mentality of many children developed considerably between the ages of five and six, lack of schooling at that time was a severe handicap to the children themselves. In these days the infant departments were admirably suited to care lor very young children, and provided a fine environment for them. Miss E. Chaplin (Christchurch) said that the measure had been taken on the score of economy. Curtailing educational facilities could only be false economy. The remit was carried. XCarried. Teachers. Miss S. Melville, on behalf of Auckland, moved a remit urging the deletion of that clause in the Education Amendment Act which reads: ” Except in the ease of a married female teacher who has completed her course of trailing at a teachers’ training college, but has not completed the term cf service required by the regulations, the board may refuse to appoint any female married teacher.” Miss Newton said it was refusing married women the right to work. The remit was carried. A Wellington remit, moved by Miss M. England, read: "That every possible effort be made to persuade parents and teachers not to enter children under the age of seven years for any public competition.” Miss England explained that the entry

of very young children was sought by organisers of dancing and singing competitions, as their appearance was repular. However, the strain was bad for the health of such young children. The remit was carried. Concerning Justice. An Auckland remit urged that representations should be made to the Minister of Justice that the various branches of the council should be consulted as to suitable women for appointment as Justices of the Peace. The mover. Miss Melville, said that at the present time appointments were political to a great extent, and nominations were made by members of Parliament. There was the fear that appointments of women Justices might be made for reasons other than suitability. “We should endeavour to insist, ’’ said Miss Melville, “ that women appointed to public office should be appointed on qualification and not on political or social ambition. Women should see that they make themselves qualified for public office. Women Justices should form a federation of their own and see that they are qualified to sit on the criminal Bench and that they actually do sit on that Bench.” The remit was passed. A remit, that women factory inspectors should be appointed in all centres where women were employed in factories, was carried.