Women Workers in Seven Professions Part 6

The opportunity for definite science training in connection with Domestic Subjects teaching in elementary schools is still very small, and will probably remain so while the school-leaving age is fourteen.

The problem before the teacher in some instances is to combat not only an entire ignorance of the home arts, but also, in poor districts, an active experience of household mismanagement and vicious habits. The teaching in these cases has to be intensely practical, and to aim chiefly at character-building; the manual work of the subject has been found of the greatest educational value in this respect. Though the training of all Domestic Subjects' teachers should reach the same standard of scientific knowledge, yet the actual work to be done in different types of schools is thus seen to be necessarily widely divergent in character.

In higher elementary or "central" schools, where the pupils normally remain until the end of the school year in which they reach the age of fifteen, Domestic Subjects' teaching may have a much wider scope than at the ordinary Centre, as the pupils are at a very intelligent age, and represent the best of the elementary scholars. A special syllabus is prepared according to the individual need of each school, by the Domestic Subjects' teacher and the headmistress; the instruction is a very definite part of the curriculum, and the teacher a member of the school staff.

In London and other large towns, and with certain County Councils, the Centre is under the general supervision of the headmistress of the school to which it is attached, but technical details are entirely in the hands of the teacher of Domestic Subjects and of the superintendent who visits periodically. In some rural areas, the conditions are not so satisfactory. Frequently one teacher has to serve several villages, visiting them for instruction on certain days.

The accommodation in such places is often sadly deficient, and much ingenuity and resource are needed to overcome difficulties which do not occur when the Centre is well-equipped and in continuous use, and the teacher, as she should be, a regular member of the school staff.

On leaving school, there are many scholars.h.i.+ps open to the girls for further training, (_a_)for a home course, (_b_) for domestic service, (_c_) for the trades of laundress, needlewoman, dressmaker, and cook.

These scholars.h.i.+ps are held at Technical Inst.i.tutes, or Trade Schools, and the training given is admirable in kind.

A qualified teacher who wishes to take up elementary school work will have no difficulty, if physically fit, in obtaining a post under a County Council or other educational authority at a salary of 80 per annum, usually rising by annual increments to 120. The maximum is not so high as that for teachers of ordinary subjects, and pensions are not universal, though most councils make fairly adequate provision for retirement, breakdown, and ill-health.

There is at present very little direct promotion open to the Domestic Subjects' teacher in elementary schools. In London there are practising-centres for students in training, and training centres for teachers during the probationary period, the managers of which hold very responsible posts that carry extra salary. The inspecting staff is usually chosen from teachers of experience, but this is necessarily limited in numbers, vacancies occurring only rarely. The salary attached to these posts is from 150 to 300. Many good posts in the Colonies have been obtained by Domestic Subjects' teachers in elementary schools. Some teachers have become foreign missionaries, Children's Care Committee visitors, or home mission workers and visitors. Some have established model laundries, others have taken charge of students' hostels and boarding-houses; while many have been successful in the needle-trades, luncheon and tea-rooms, and in lecturing and demonstrating for gas and electric companies.

Several organisations for self-protection and the advancement of the profession are open to teachers of Domestic Subjects. The a.s.sociation of Teachers of Domestic Subjects was founded in 1896, and has done valuable work for the members. It is affiliated to the a.s.sociation of Teachers in Technical Inst.i.tutes, and is thus enabled to obtain good legal advice. A representative has been appointed to sit on the Council for the Registration of Teachers. The a.s.sociation is helping to educate public opinion, and to review and consider the pedagogy of domestic subjects in all cla.s.ses of schools. Domestic Subjects'

teachers are also admitted to members.h.i.+p of other Teachers'

a.s.sociations, which safeguard the interest of their members and offer advantages for training and travelling. Members of the a.s.sociation of Teachers of Domestic Subjects have the right to join for the purposes of the Insurance Act the "Approved" section of the Secondary, Technical and University Teachers' Provident Society. The London County Council has secured "exception" from the Act for their Domestic Subjects' teachers, their allowance for sick leave being better than the provisions of the Act. The a.s.sociation of Teachers of Domestic Subjects has obtained special terms for members from two a.s.surance companies for deferred annuities or endowment a.s.surances. The London Teachers' a.s.sociation has also a provident section.

We have seen that Domestic Arts may now claim a position of importance in both the elementary and secondary school curricula, and that the teaching of these subjects may rank as a profession in which there is a great deal of scope. The att.i.tude of mind towards these subjects has much changed during the last few years, largely owing to the efforts of those who have taken them up as subjects of scientific study.

Much, however, remains to be done, both in organising the teaching in schools, and in the training of teachers in domestic subjects. Only those who have had scientific training, are competent to put the work on a sound scientific basis.

[Footnote 1: An interesting sidelight on economic conditions is afforded by the instructions issued by the London County Council for the guidance of teachers of Domestic Subjects (Syllabus of Instruction in Domestic Economy. Revised, March 1912). The girls are to be taught account-keeping in order to "cultivate a well-balanced sense of proportion in spending and saving. ... Weekly incomes suitable for consideration in London, to begin with, are 35s., 3, and 28s. taken in that order." The number in family is supposed to be six, _i.e.,_ parents and four children.

The obvious inference is that experts do not find it possible to deal satisfactorily with cases in which there are, say, six children and an income of 25s. An income of 1 a week is not even mentioned, though many a London school-girl must know "in the last three years of her school-life" that her mother has not more than this to spend.

Translated into concrete quant.i.ties of food, clothing, and rent, this "living wage" is found insufficient for daily needs. The teacher therefore is encouraged to ignore the economic conditions of most of her pupils. [EDITOR]. ]

TABLE I.

Cost and duration of courses for the first degree in the Faculties of Arts and Science, together with Scholars.h.i.+ps in those Faculties available for Women at the Universities and University Colleges[1] of the United Kingdom.

_NOTES_.

1. Scholars.h.i.+ps, etc., printed in _italics_ are available for Women only.

2. Scholars.h.i.+ps, etc., printed in #black type# are not restricted to graduates of any one University.

3. County Council and Borough Scholars.h.i.+ps are included only when tenable at a specified University or College. Particulars of others should in each case be obtained from the respective Director or Secretary of the Education Committee.

4. No scholars.h.i.+p or prize is included of which the value is less than 15.

[Footnote 1: University Colleges are those in receipt of a Government Grant and doing work of a University standard. Thus the Polytechnics and Colleges such as the Albert Memorial College, Exeter, are not included, although they prepare students for degree examinations.]

#ENGLAND#.

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM.

Duration of Pa.s.s Course in Arts or Science: 3 years.

Duration of Honours (M.A., M.Sc.) in Arts or Science: 4 years.

Cost of Tuition in Arts: 54 guineas for the course.

Cost of Tuition in Science: From 47 guineas to 186, 2s. for the course, according to subjects chosen.

Cost of Residence (optional): From 40 to 55 guineas per annum.

Scholars.h.i.+ps, Bursaries, and Prizes.

Name. Value and Tenure. Remarks.

Entrance(2) Not more than 25 1 year Fentham's Trust 75 3 years Awarded on to candidates who have resided for 5 years in the City of Birmingham University(2) 30 1 year Science University(2) 30 1 year Arts University(15) Free tuition and not more than 30 maintenance 4 years Theodore Mander 24 2-3 years Open to sons and daughters of burgesses of Wolverhampton, and awarded to those intending to take Degree Courses in the Faculties of Science of Commerce Polytechnic(2) 45 _circa_ 3 years Ascough 36 _circa_ 1 year Chemistry (renewable) George Henry 45 3 years Cla.s.sics Marshall German 50 -- Offered each year for 5 years from 1913.

Education Committee 50 3 years Major(5) Corbett 28 _circa_ 1 year For 2nd year students.

Mathematics.

#Post-Graduate# University(4) 50 1 year Arts and Science Research(4) 50 1 year Arts and Science Priestley(3) 96 _circa_ 1 year Chemistry Research (renewable) 1851 Exhibition 150 2 years Scientific Research

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL.

Duration of Course in Arts or Science, Pa.s.s or Honours: 3 years.

Cost of Tuition in Arts: 18 guineas per annum.

Cost of Tuition in Science: 20 guineas per annum.

Cost of Residence (optional) at Clifton Hill House: 40 guineas per annum.

Scholars.h.i.+ps, Bursaries, and Prizes.

Name. Value and Tenure. Remarks.

Bursaries, variable Tuition fees and in number maintenance grant 1 year Awarded (to children of Bristol ratepayers only) according to qualification Vincent Stuckey Lean Interest on Science Scholars.h.i.+p 1,000 1 year

#Post-Graduate.# _Catherine Winkworth_ 30 1 year Arts _Catherine Winkworth_ 30 1 year Science Capper Pa.s.s Scholars.h.i.+p 25 1 year Metallurgy Hugh Conway Scholars.h.i.+p 20 1 year English Literature

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE.

The only University Scholars.h.i.+ps for which women are eligible are the Arnold Gerstenberg Students.h.i.+p (income of 2,000) for Philosophical Research and the Benn W. Levy Students.h.i.+p for Research in Biological Chemistry (100 a year). Scholars.h.i.+ps at Girton and Newnham are for women only.

The University does not grant degrees to women.

GIRTON COLLEGE.

Duration of Course in Arts or Science: 3 years. (Pa.s.s candidates are not accepted.)