Teaching Rewards go to Women

EQUALITY of pay between men and women teachers was discussed last night at a meeting of the Wellingborough and Rushden School­masters' Association at the Queen Victoria Hotel, Rushden.

The speaker, Mr. T. A. Casey, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters, said: "Teaching is clearly an occupation which is very rewarding for a young woman, but not so for a young man." He said that the NAS wanted equal pay for men and women teachers but not graded in a way which would "defraud the men."

He told women teachers who were attending the open meeting that if equal pay was to be graded so that they could afford an extravagant standard of living, it would only afford a "modest living" for a man — particularly one with a wife and family to support, and other responsibilities.

Mr. Casey deplored the fact that in some cases advertisements for teachers in schools asked for either a man or a woman to fill a particular vacancy. "Surely they either want a man or a woman" he said. It was not a case, he said, that "either will do."

During his talk, Mr. Casey spoke of teaching as a Profession — he said that it  is not generally regarded as one: Governmental control over teaching; the unity of teachers' trade unions; qualification of entrants into teaching; examinations; and the Burnham Committee.

Mr. B. Kirby, presided at the meeting, and following the talk various trade union views and other points for discussion were put forward.