The Humble Petition of the undersigned members of the Education Department
serving in the Colony of Hong Kong.
(for long)
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W.
1. We humbly beg to submit that it has always been a source of dissatisfaction
to the women graduates in the Education Department of Hong Kong that in the rate of
salary accorded to the women teachers in general, no discrimination has ever been
made between those who have University Degrees and Training Certificates, and those
who have Elementary Training Certificates or no Certificate whatsoever.
For purpose
of remuneration all are ranked as the same and such a practice tends to lower the
worth of the fully qualified and trained Graduates.
(cheapen)
When the Colonial Office in London advertises for candidates for the Education
Department in Hong Kong, and when secondary school teachers are required, the ad-
vertisements state that the Applicant is required to have an Honours Degree, Train-
ing, and experience (i.e. two to three years in an English School). These require-
ments involve a period of from six to seven years, as in any English University the
course for an Honours Degreee and Training covers not less than four years. When
a woman teacher possessing these qualifications is appointed and takes up her work
in Hong Kong, she finds that qualifications entitle her to no different salary from
the woman teacher who possibly finished her own educational career at the age of
eighteen by passing a University Matriculation examination at school, and who
through the chance of being in Hong Kong when a vacancy occurred, secured a teach-
ing post. At no time in her whole career in this Colony, even in the appointing
to Headships, does the trained graduate teacher obtain any preference over a less
qualified or an unqualified teacher who may be senior to her in length of service.
A comparison may also be made between the trained Graduate with teaching expe-
rience and Kindergarten teacher. The Kindergarten course in England is of three
years' duration: the Colonial Office in the past has accepted a candidate for
appointment to a Kindergarten school in Hong Kong who has taken that course and
nothing more. From the trained graduate, therefore, a preparatory period of from
six to seven years is required, from the Kindergarten teacher possibly not more
then three years; while in Hong Kong itself teachers are on the permanent staff
of the Department ho had still less previous experience. Yet there is no
NB