The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-08-07
MARRIED WOMEN TEACHERS.
Why School Boards Discontinue Their
Services


School Board Journal
The criticisms so frequently passed
upon the action OF school boards In
excluding married women teachers
from teaching in the schools usually
come from those wh0 have but a
theoretical knowledge OF the subject
Il IS invariably held that marriage
does not disqualify a woman from
teaching and that a woman who has
once been a mother is better qualified
to deal with children than is an I'M
married woman.
This is al true. No school board
member ever disputes these argu-
ments. But here the critics stop.
They seldom enter upon the practi-
cal-or, let US say. the serious phases
OF the subject. Let us set aside prud
cry and affeetation Let US be plain.
When a woman enters upon a mar
rage il is reasonable to say that her
new contract implies household cares
and wifely duties And more than
that woman's marriage implies
motherhood. Motherhood at times ne
cessitates seclusion. At least. the
school room is not the place for a
married woman at all stages of her
married life.
We know OF several instances where
school boards were placed under the
embarrassing obligation 10 suspend
married woman teachers because the
failed 10 be as considerate of the
school room as its best interests
would suggest However. this point.
owing TO its delicacy. need not be dis
-ussed any farther.
The reasons which have actuated
school boards in barring married wo-
men from appointments have usually
been based upon hard, common sense.
Here is the woman teacher who is
supporting a lazy husband, another
who simply wants to earn extra pis
money. regardless OF the fact that she
1egfects her own children by so do
n. Then there is the woman
xho wants to help her hus-
Rand "a husband who ought TO
help himself. Then We have the
avaricious man and wife, who sacri-
ice ali the things that go to establish
Christian home life and family.
They are simply a co-partnership OF
two hreadwinners. The. woman has
IN able-bodied husband to provide for
her and vet she crowds out the young.
unmarried woman. whose parents NAV
have made great sacrifices in order to
enable her to become self sustaining.
II is claimed by the ethical quibbler
IN this subject, that it is not the
business of the school board TO in
1uire whether the woman is married
OF unmarried. whether, if married.
her husband earns large or small
salary. or whether her own children
are we'll provided for or neglected.
whether she performs her duty as wife
and mother or not? And yet when it
is considered that social conditions
may have a bearing upon the pursuit
Il a profession. that marriage is more
frequently a hindrance than an ad-
vantage TO the woman teacher-it be
comes the school boards duty to rec
ognize facts and not theories.
But is the married woman teacher
preferable to the single woman Are
not the cares and duties incidental
70 wifehood and motherhood apt to
distract in the performance of school
room labors? Is the woman who has
small children of her own at home,
constantly awaiting her return. ft to
teach other peoples children?
School boards which have passed
rules against me employment of mar
ried woman teachers have been con
fronted by a condition. not a theory
and have not flinched in doing their
dutv.