States of America and, to some extent, in
elementary teaching in this country. Needless to say, the women's
salaries need levelling up: it would be hopeless policy to reduce the
men's maxima to those of the women. In many secondary schools and in
at any rate some elementary ones, there is too great a discrepancy
between the salary of the head and that of the assistants. Here
again, teachers might endeavour to arrive at some united expression
of opinion. All would probably agree that the profession should be
entered for the sake of the work itself, and not on the remote chance
of becoming a head-mistress. But while the difference in salary is
very great, it is inevitable that ambitious teachers must aspire to
headships, even though they be better suited to class work.

Finally, it may be repeated, that with all its drawbacks, the teaching
profession has much to recommend it to those who desire to make
it their life-work. It is not suited to all comers: it makes heavy
demands on mind and body and heart; it gives little material return.
But it gives other returns in generous measure. For teachers it is
less difficult than for most people to preserve their faith in human
nature, less impossible, even in the midst of daily routine, to
believe in the dignity of labour, and to illuminate it with the light
of enthusiasm and aspiration.

"... whether we be young or old
Our destiny, our being's heart and home,
Is with infinitude, and only there;
With hope it is, hope that can never die,
Effort, and expectation and desire,
And something evermore about to be."

[Footnote 1: The ideal inspector is, of course, a help and not a
hindrance to the teacher, acting as a propagator of new ideas
and bringing into touch with one another, workers who are widely
separated. But the reach of most inspectors far exceeds their grasp.]

[Footnote 2: See table at end of section, p. 82.]

II

WOMEN AT THE UNIVERSITIES AND UNIVERSITY TEACHING AS A PROFESSION

When a girl is about to leave school at the age of seventeen or
eighteen, she is often as little able to determine what profession
she wishes to adopt, as is her brother in similar case. If she is
intelligent, well-trained and eager to study, her natural impulse is
to go to college, and to get there, it is still usually the line of
least resistance to say that she wishes to become a teacher. When
there are pecuniary difficulties in the way, the decision must be
tak