—May I draw attentioa to one statement in Mr. Brett-James's
letter Wished on August 7th: " Most -masters, almost all housemasters and headmasters should be married men with families. There has been for too much enforced celibacy in public schools and too many childless marriages." If this were so (in order, I presume, that the boys, or more likely their masters, might benefit), then logically the same condition should apply to girls' schools and their staffs. Their teachers also should be able to set examples (and gain experience) by their own families. Yet the enforced celibacy of women teachers is too per cent. more than that of men. Undoubtedly, if the barriers were removed against married women teachers they could hardly be kept intact against married women in other professions.
Critics of the married woman in employment (and it is undoubtedly good for her children and herself that she should be) behold with horror the spectacle of a collapse of the traditional home and its prisoner, regardless of whether there is enough to do there nowadays or not. In fact, day or boarding school makes very little difference to the male parent in terms of actual effort, and it is amusing to hear his protests at having the brief compelling part he usually does take in the training of his children threatened by boarding schools.—Yours faithfully, 3z Douglas Avenue, Ward End, Birmingham, 8.
ELIZABETH CLEGG.
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