TRANSACTIONS OP SECTION L. 753 



to her, she is for the most part relegated to a subordinate position and a lower 

 scale of remuneration. Her intelligence shows her the injustice of artificial 

 restrictions based on sex prejudice, and the anomaly of opening to her, c.(j., 

 the profession of medicine while keeping that of law closed. Denied the rights 

 of citizenship as she is, she has little incentive to high effort or to public spirit. 

 It is hardly surprising that the outcome of such conditions should be, on the 

 one hand, narrowness and irresponsibility, on the other bitter revolt against the 

 prevailing social system. Even to-day, when the State has calkd upon women 

 to volunteer for war service, there is a dangerous tendency to re-grade the work 

 so as to reserve for men all that carries with it interest and responsibility. 

 The time cannot be far distant when women will gain a larger participation in 

 public life; it is one of the first duties of the teacher to prepare her girls for 

 such participation by developing in them a sense of national responsibility. 



In the second place a more liberal education is necessary for the girl who is 

 to be the homemaker. In the opinion of many, it is in this sphere that woman 

 performs her highest service to the 8tate. If the foundations of national 

 greatness are indeed set in the homes of the people, we should train with the 

 utmost care the girls who will to a great extent make the home. We should 

 seek to remove the stigma of inferiority that rests on girls whose tastes lie in 

 the direction of domesticity and manual accomplishments. Such girls should 

 be discovered early ; to this end, every girl should, at some period of her school 

 life, devote the greater part of one year to the domestic arts. This training 

 shoiild be supplementary to a broad general education, which, far from making 

 a girl discontented with her lot, will do much to show her the importance of 

 the service she is rendering to the nation. 



The State could do much to give greater dignity to the career of the 

 domestic worker by entrusting to women the control of certain branches of its 

 departments, such as those that deal with maternity and child-welfare, or that 

 demand special knowledge and experience possible only to women. 



Finally, there is need for increased effort in every department of education. 

 There must be among other advances a generous provision of Trade Schools to 

 better the condition of the masses of women engaged in industry. What we 

 need above all in England at the present time is to make our education a more 

 systematic and careful preparation for the business of life. 



6. Education of Girls with special reference to their Career — Education 

 preparatory to Clerical Work. By Miss E. A. Chahlesworth. 



The writer approached the subject from the point of view of one who has 

 been engaged in clerical work for many years, and has been, as a member of 

 the Executive Committee of the Association of Women Clerks and Secretaries, 

 in touch with large numbers of women employed in all branches of such work. 



As the outtome of this experience she has come to the conclusion that there 

 are some general principles the inculcation of which is of greater importance 

 and value as a preparation for w-ork than any kind of special instruction. These 

 may be summed up under the headings : 



(1) Self-reliance and self-dependence. Determination to rely upon own 

 qualifications and efforts, rather than upon influence of relatives and friends, 

 in obtaining posts and making progress. 



(2) Willingness to face the cost of living. Realisation that earnings must be 

 sufficient to cover bad times as well as good, extraordinary as well as ordinary 

 expenses. 



(3) Appreciation of the place of the individual worker in the social economy, 

 and of the influence of actions upon the welfare of fellow-workers. 



Some kind of specialised instruction doubtless necessary. Consideration 

 when this instruction should begin, what subjects form the best framework for 

 it, and where and by whom it should be given. 



Strong reasons why specialised instruction should not begin too early : 

 (a) Clerical work is of an abstract nature : it does not, like a craft, develop 

 creative farulties and constructive powers. The meaning and value of the tasks 



1915. 3 c 



