General report on the teaching of domestic subjects to public elementary school children in England and Wales / by the Chief Woman Inspector of the Board of Education.

Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: General report on the teaching of domestic subjects to public elementary school children in England and Wales / by the Chief Woman Inspector of the Board of Education. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    to take the complete course, and it is therefore very advisable that they should learn some elements of Housewifery. This end would also be attained in a lesser degree by the suggested “Mixed Courses” in Domestic Subjects to which the Board have referred in Circular 780, paragraph 9. In this paragraph the Board contemplate “ some arrangement, intermediate between teaching the three subjects (Cookery, Laundry, and Housewifery) separately and teaching them in combination, whereby a * mixed ’ course of, say, 80 hours’ instruction in the three subjects might be given to single groups of scholars under more elastic conditions than are permissible for courses in ‘ Combined Domestic Subjects ’ and at a slightly lower rate of grant than that assigned to such courses.” I believe that if these “mixed” courses are provided by Local Education Authorities, they will be found useful not only as alternative to the separate courses of Cookery, Laundry, and Housewifery, but also as a stage between them and the more advanced courses in Combined Domestic Subjects. 7. It is to be desired that a still closer connection should be made between the instruction given in the Elementary School and the practical teaching of Domestic Subjects in the Centre, and everything that would draw the teachers of the Elementary Schools and the Special Subjects teachers in the Centres closer together is to be encouraged. This co-operation is badly needed, for it must be remembered that teachers coming out of the Training Schools of Domestic Subjects are at a disadvan- tage in comparison with teachers in Public Elementary Schools. The former are responsible for the teaching of Domestic Subjects in either a Centre or a School Course, and they must stand or fall alone, whereas the teacher in the ordinary school should be able to count upon the guidance of the Head Teacher, and has the advantage of seeing the methods of the other assistant teachers with whom she is working. I do not think the isolation of the Domestic Subjects teacher is sufficiently realised, and I should like to see more help given to them by manjr Authorities. It has generally been found that in those areas where it has been possible to appoint an organising superintendent of Domestic Subjects, the organisation and instruction have shown improvement, and the Domestic Subjects teachers have greatly valued the help and assistance given to them. In a School Course, and still more in a Centre Course, the Domestic Subjects teacher has often to accept for her class the girls whom the Head Teacher sends her. She is not always consulted by the Head Teacher as to the suitability of the girls sent with reference to their previous education in Domestic Subjects. An organising siiperintendent, having the right of entry both to Public Elementary Schools and Centres, can give very valuable help in supervising the drafting of girls from the School to the Centre, so that the best use may be made of the