HC Deb 19 April 1921 vol 140 cc1707-9
33. Viscountess ASTOR

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that women teachers who continue in their profession after marriage and resign when their children are born are liable to be deemed not to have resigned in consequence of marriage and to be therefore ineligible for the concession provided in Sub-section (3) of Section 1 of The School Teachers (Superannuation) Act, 1918; and whether, in view of the importance of securing that this concession should apply to married teachers who return later to their profession, he will make a definite ruling as to the maximum number of years after marriage within which the resignation must take place for the purpose of benefit under the above-mentioned Section?

Mr. FISHER

The School Teachers (Superannuation) Act provides for a reduction in the period of service qualifying for a pension in the case of women teachers who cease to be employed in recognised service in consequence of marriage. I am advised that a teacher who remains in service after marriage, and retires later in consequence bf child-birth, is not within the terms of this provision. The Board have no power to make any such general or definite ruling as is suggested in the last part of the question. Their duty is, in each individual case, to decide whether the cessation of employment is in fact in consequence of marriage, but I may add that the fact that a woman teacher does not leave employment immediately after marriage is not regarded by the Board as necessarily excluding the operation of the Section.

Major HILLS

Is it not a valuable thing for the public service that married women should stay on after marriage if they have no children, and would it not be a good thing to put some reasonable limit within which if the woman stayed on she would not lose her pensionable rights, and if legislation is necessary to effect this, will the right hon. Gentleman include it in his next Education Bill?

Mr. FISHER

The Board by administrative action does allow a certain amount of latitude. Each case is decided on its merits.

Major HILLS

What is the amount of time within which the teacher would be allowed to stay on and not lose pension?

Mr. FISHER

The Superannuation Act is young, but I think we have allowed a period of 12 months.

Viscountess ASTOR

Does the Minister realise that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction, and if the Minister himself thinks it a good thing that married women should continue, will he get it put right?

Mr. FISHER

I cannot pledge myself to introduce a Bill. The Teachers Superannuation Act is expressly framed with the view of enabling married women to return to the teaching service, and the period during which they absent themselves to bring up their families has been specially included so that they may return and at the same time have all the advantage of the years during which they have been absent.

34. Viscountess ASTOR

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the case of Mrs. Alice Grigg, who, having served as a certificated teacher for 39 years, retired in October, 1920, at the age of 60, and received her pension for one month, after which time she was married, on 24th November, 1920, to an English-born man naturalised as an American citizen; whether he is aware that her pension has been stopped from the date of her marriage; and whether a woman teacher on marriage with a citizen of another state must necessarily lose the pension she has earned by services to her own state?

Mr. FISHER

The facts are as stated in the question. I greatly regret that it has been necessary to cease payment of Mrs. Grigg's pension, but Section 10 of the School Teachers (Superannuation) Act, 1918, provides that no allowance shall be payable to any teacher who is not a British subject, and the Board have no discretion to depart from the terms of this provision.

Viscountess ASTOR

Does it not seem a little unfair that, if after all her years of service she marries a man of different nationality, recognition of her service is refused?

Mr. FISHER

I think that it is a hard case, but at the same time I am not entitled to go outside the law.

Sir J. BUTCHER

Is not the remedy for this to alter the law of nationality, so that when a British woman marries an alien she will not lose her British nationality?