Vanguard December 1915

Dalmuir School Affair


Source: Vanguard, unattributed, probably by Maclean, December 1915, p.7;
Transcribed: by Ted Crawford.


On the Old Kilpatrick School Board are two I.L.P.'ers, Miss Rae and Mr. Fraser. These two have taken up the fight on behalf of the late head-mistress of the Infant Department of the Dalmuir Public School. They are being backed up by their friends outside. The opening of a new infant school attached to the above school was seized as a good opportunity to remove the infant mistress to another school. The headmaster happens to be an old fossil with old methods: the mistress a modern woman with the latest methods. Instead of letting the lady conduct her department in her own way, as most masters do, he seemingly has impertinently interfered. The result, a clash. The Board has, as usual, taken the master’s view of the matter and has removed the lady.

Some of the workers asked Comrade Maclean to go down to the opening of the new department on Saturday, November 27. This he did. Just as the people finished their inspection of the new building he started off a meeting in the playground, and so enthused the women present that they at once formed a committee bent on getting the parents to withdraw their infants until the mistress is reinstated.

We trust that Beardmore’s and Singer’s workers will back up the women, and that the result will be as desired. The fight against the arrogance of headmasters and School Boards is on the increase in spite of the dismissal of Maclean. This is a healthy sign, and shows that teachers have some spirit after all.