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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Feb 1943

Vol. 89 No. 5

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Married Women Teachers.

Mr. Lynch

asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware that there is considerable dissatisfaction amongst those women teachers who were in preparatory colleges or training colleges or who were pupil teachers at the time that the rule was passed which requires women teachers to retire on marriage, and whether he would be prepared to alter the rule so as to exclude from its scope all those who had already entered on their teaching career at the date on which the rule was promulgated.

Representations have been made on a number of occasions that women teachers who, at the time of the promulgation of the rule requiring that certain categories of women teachers should retire from the teaching service on marriage, were serving as pupil-teachers, or were students of the preparatory and training colleges, should be exempted from the provisions of the rule. The granting of this concession would mean the postponement of the operative date of the rule from the 1st October, 1934, to the 1st October, 1939, which would bring in a large number of women teachers who could continue in the service after marriage. In view of the unfavourable reaction which such concession would have on the employment of existing women teachers, and of the further restriction which would thus be imposed on the present limited opportunities of entering the teaching profession which are available to young girls leaving the secondary schools, I am not prepared to accede to the proposal in the Deputy's question.

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