WOMEN TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

White Ribbon, Volume 32, Issue 380, 18 March 1927, Page 1

WOMEN TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

Next to the mother in the home, no person comes into closer touch with the child than the teacher. The more perfect the understanding, the closer the co-operation between these two, the greater the advantage to the child. The Women Teacher’s Association has just celebrated its 25th birthday, and has issued a retrospect of its work under the name of “Our First Quarter Century." A brief sketch of this work should prove of great interest to all our readers. Many of our Women Teachers are White Ri’jboners, and haw aided us materially in our efforts to make our Dominion a safer place for the children. It will be to our common interest if our White Ribboners know some of th» problems confronting our women teachers, and, understanding the need, can give intelligent help and co-operation. In 1883, the New Zealand Educational Institute started and from small beginning gnw to a powerful body. Rut it failed to secure justice for its women teachers, and early in this century they felt the neetl of banding themselves together.

Women, who realised that child culture was essentially their job; who knew that high educational authority had pronounced them the “teaching sex;” who were conscious that their work was always equal to and often superior to their male coileaguet; such women could not but resent the calm assumption of superiority by male teachers, These reserved all the best paid positions for themselves, and after being 20 years in existence, the New Zealand Educational Institute had failed to secure “equal pay tor equal work.” In at least one Hoard's regulation:?, after setting forth full scale of salaries, a footnote conveyed this information: “In every instance the salary of a female teacher shall be 2-3rds that of a male teacher of equal standing.” Canterbuiy led the way, and formed the first Association of Women Teachers in 1901, with Miss Henderson, 11. A., our much-iov“d Dominion Corresponding Secretary as their President. This Association was formed “to secure a proper recognition of women's work.” Wellington next organised with the avowed object “of inproving the status of voiuen teachers.”

Other centres followed, and in December 1914, a Dominion Conference of Women Teachers was held in Wellington, and the New Zealand Women Teacher’s Association was the outcome of that Conference with Miss Phoebe Myers as its first President. It was resolved that the aims of the Association be: (a) To advance the cause of Education generally, and that of girls and infants particularly. (b) To uphold the just claims of women teachers. This Dominion Association continued the Campaign for equality of payment, also for equality of opportunity. i.e., women to be eligible to compete in a fair field and no favour with men for the higher positions In the service. Miss Chaplin, of Canterbury, one of the pioneers of the Movement, who

has held at different times the offices of President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the N.Z.W.T.A., was the first woman elected on the General Council of Education. She was elected unopposed to represent the Certified women teachers of the South Island, was re-elected in 1918, 1921, and 1924, and is now in her twelfth year ot service on that Council. Miss Chaplin is a member of our Christchurch W.C.T.U., was one of the first subscribers to our “White Ribbon.” and still continues her subscription. Of special interest to White Ribboners is the photo of Miss Birss, who has been nominated as Dominion Treasurer of W.C.T.U. Miss Birss was the first woman to be elected a member of the New Zealand Educational Institute. She was such a valued member of the N.Z.W.T.A.,

that on her retirement from the teaching profession, she was enthusiastically elected as an honorary memuer. Miss Birss is a member of the Southland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and has been one for about 10 years. She has done much valuable work on that Board, looking after the old folk at Lome Farm, and visiting cases which apply to the Board for help. Miss Birss is also a valued Officer of our Southland District Union. Miss Edmed is now President of \ 2 W.T. A She is also a Whit. Ribboner, Secretary of our Pahiatua Union, and once* when our Wellington District Convention was held during school holidays, she made a most efficient District Secretary. Women teachers are slowly gaining their objective*. Miss Hethering ton has been appointed the first woman Inspector of Secondary

Schools in New Zealand, and Miss Dyer is the first woman Inspector of Domestic Science. To all mothers, it must he a relief to know that there is such a body as this, watching over the welfare of their children in our Public Schools, and also striving tor better conditions for our girls who take up the t aching profession. That mothers may keep in close touch with this work, we strongly recommend them to procure and read “Our First Quarter Century.” Copies can be obtained from Miss E. Andrews, Fitzroy School, New Plymouth, for the modest sum of one shilling. Get one.