New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-07
THE TEACHER. MOTHERS DUTY
Mind Your Own Business--to Wit
Your Child-Says a Reader.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The question Of the teacher
mother has again come up for diseu"
sion, and the sympa,hies Of The TIT
une seem to be in favor Of granting
tcacher-mothers the fullest Liberty O.
action and abolishing the rule whle'
now disqualiiies them for work ~ ",
yublic schools. II is unfortunate INA,
this subject should Boz at the mercy ..
men. who are necessarily ignorant y
the business of motherhood, and mos mos
! Of unmarried women, who are ii'"f
hotter qualified 10 Judge oil IL. ~
consequence Of these conditions 'he',
is no one to speak u che lnteIest
the person most vitality concerheu
this controversy the child.
In the actual cases cited a leave 3
absence has invariably been asked ~
one year. We will suppose that y.
teacher relinquishes her position w yi
months before the birth Of the ehue.
H. this case she would return 70 ns
duties when the child Is ten tloh.I
old. A baby Of ten months IS J" -.
teething period and is subject 70 Pc.
from that process and various dlgeSS"S
disturbances. and needs suitaoie IVO.
prepared and cared for m the nv,
sanitary manner. While the mother
busy teaching, who will give the "
this care? The average nuIsemtSp
not capable of doing this WORK VII,
constant oversight, and 10 i "S,os
possible that the schools pay ~
large salaries as 10 provide -.
nurses for the babies of the 'eS1" ~.
When the baby gets Older IL he.a' o. 49,.
as much oversight TO prevent . ll' T,b.
ting into injurious mischief IN. ar.
une has printed any num0Sl f,on
counts of little children falling ~,
windows and setting themselves 's,,
playing with matches ~ me I'm seegr
c. their mothers. These trageu''' W.
only too frequently. ;..,s %
But supposing this child suryne' N,
the school age. and then oesHSS -,
period Of contagious disease ,ayirg
are few children VINO escape ssi
puy of these childish disease, lbs.
many children have them All ~ ,bsy
mumps. whooping cough-eYen u ..rsr
escape the more deadly scanet ~
and diphtheria. Who viii care ,u
child under these conditions oSPs,,
ing the mother provides eVnF wih
nurse. do the school autnori"1I: ..s.s.
her TO bring the seeds OF these "Ia;rfs
10 other children? Mumps Is 20.
affection and exceedingly coh''E',riei
Undoubtedly there are NE al
teachers who have relatives "O'. ,bos
willing 10 care for the children .
their mothers seem 20 appr'yL' eer.
little. but this can hardly be ". ne,
dition in the great majority oi % :. M
and the rule must be MADE I" mar
majority. I'm these days. wnen ~ al
y omen wish TO do the ~orh 9.,,,s ne
neglect their own responslolss',.' sn li0
refreshing TO find body o, hsleW
the Board Of Education wig o.
that mothers should mind lhen an
business. II is the mothers Was
responsible for these babies s e. thee
rot possible for them 10 carr "a msns
competently when they spe"'
hours away from home. hoald er
The BOARD Of Education shO'', sses
ploy only unmarried women ate so
crs, Of whom there IS an .s'y teaehef-
ply. and settle once for all '"'' "
"9 Tine writer qIya.'S speaks fceInsly on sh
subject because she is aequs IS.hies
il. having cared for her own rgIITyOs.
~ ~ '"s ELEANOR y. SEf w.
F,cl.wood. <, j.. oct. ). 1911