Kelly McCaughrain (Belfast

I enjoyed finding out more about Roberta’s voluntary work at the Nursery School Association. I thought it said a lot about her concern for children’s welfare, her progressive thinking, and her willingness to not only do admin work and political campaigning, but to roll her sleeves up and cook and clean and look after the children:

“I served lunch to them. Miss Fleming tells me she feels relieved when I am in charge as I am grand with the children. I think she does mean it. I don’t boss them & don’t mind being defeated now & again by the big boys, but they do the necessary things for me. I used to boss children a lot & was quite sure of myself – now I am not & I am guided by their needs & don’t mind when they don’t obey in small matters. I don’t know if this is right but I am useful in the school & some of the new frightened children in fact most of them trust me quite soon.”50

“Mrs Pritchard (nee Miss Fleming) is away in Donegal attending to the selling up of her home there. So the Education Authority agreed to have me as Sub. for her (voluntary). She was pleased that they recognised that someone who had nursery experience was more useful than the trained Primary teachers they send as Subs. Nursery work is unknown here with this ministry except the Director of Education Dr Stuart Hawnt. I have been working in Edenderry Nursery school since 1938. I was secretary & I cooked three days a week for months till we could afford a cook & I have been helping ever since. The day at the school was busy & the children not bad – no bruises or accidents.”51

I thought that this quote summed up why she does this voluntary work. She’s passionate about social progress and reform because she has deep compassion for people, especially children and the working class:

“We learn with pleasure that the Charitable Institute will be known as Clifton House in future & so our times change. When it was installed & called the ‘Charitable Institute’ it was progress – and now charity is out of date – it is a pity we lost the meaning of charity as love.”52

1966-76 Passport Photo. PRONI: D3838/1/1/19

50 Roberta Hewitt's 1947-1950 Diary (D3838/4/2/1): p. 8 51 Ibid: p. 16 52 Ibid: p. 67-68

I admired her willingness to take on the management about injustice on behalf of the mothers and children:

“Miss Parkinson Supt. brought up that her nursery (Greeves – Forth River Mill) is unsettled because when mothers have to leave – because there is no work or are sacked – the children are thrown out of nursery – I said the children would be better on the streets than have this introduction to school.”53

"School A.M. Committee afternoon in school. I have been making a stir about the treatment our Education Authority deal out to Teachers & Sub Teachers & their delay in making appointments and now the present treatment of our principal Mrs Pritchard. Really our ministry look on teachers as pawns they can move around at will & do not think of them as human beings.” 54

“Edenderry N.S Committee. Mr Eakin there to answer our criticisms of Ed. Authority’s attitude to staff. Which I started – I switched on the old charm & slated him – so he took it O.K.”55

“I went late to committee - I made a protest over the representation of mothers on our committee They should be made a stable part of our committee as it is important that they have the Right to attend our committee as it is we only allow them to come.”. We will change & a new committee come along & as it is they could be dropped.”56

This seemed brave considering she was not even a paid member of staff, just a volunteer. The saga of Roberta being turned down for a paid job in the NSA was revealing of how she was seen by the people she worked with as well as women’s position in employment and education. She would have liked an education but as a woman was less likely to get one than a man, and then was turned down for this job because she didn’t have one. She felt ashamed she didn’t have an education, and felt that applying for this job humiliated her because everyone now knew she didn’t have an education.

The fact that everyone assumed she did have an education says a lot about how intelligent, well read, capable and good at her job she was. She’d been doing this job as a volunteer for 10 years, and they were happy to have her continue doing it on a voluntary basis and fill in for paid staff when they were ill, but wouldn’t hire her. It felt ironic that the job was childcare, which is what a lot of people in the 50s assumed was all women should be doing:

“[...] I was asked by committee to take on job in school till June when more trained staff will be through their exams at Stranmillis. I said I would. But so far have no word from Education Authority. I spoke on phone to assistant director he said he was willing to have me but he wanted ministry to pay me 16/1 per day & they would have last word as I had no qualifications not even secondary school. Committee & Principal in school said I was good at the work. I will feel badly if I am turned down – hurt pride – & the money would be useful just now.”57

“Wed 7th January ’48. I am a bit disappointed not to have heard anything about my going everyday to School FOR PAY. I suppose it is because I have had nothing but an elementary education. The committee, I presume, took it for granted that I had a secondary education. I feel a bit ashamed of the fact, that is foolish of me, but I would have liked an education. However I will not worry about it. I phoned Miss A. McCready, our Chairman of E.N.S. & she is a member of Ed Committee - she was very tactful & said it had been discussed

53 Ibid: p. 140 54 Ibid: p. 141 55 Ibid: p. 160 56 Ibid: p. 45 57 Ibid: p. 28

by Local Authority who were in favour of my appointment, but I would have to be paid by ministry of Ed. & probably they will require the qualified person in spite of the fact I am pretty good with the children. They are right, of course, only they cannot get the qualified person at the moment. I went to the school this morning to take charge of Mrs. Pritchard’s group while she was with the Dr. at medical inspection. It was lovely & some of the children ran to meet me & didn’t want me to go home.”58

“Mr Lennox Cotton our Sec. took me to tea afterwards & apologised about treatment about appointment. I made the point that the Ed. Authority should not be permitted to treat anyone applying for a job like this - they employ & dismiss staff without much thought & it doesn't make staff loyal to them.”59

“Mrs Pritchard has poisoned hand & ministry asked me to take her place in school for two weeks – I confess I was pleased they had to come to me after their treatment. God preserve us from small victories.”60

“I heard by chance that another girl was appointed to the school & still I have no official word. I was deeply hurt & came home & wept - It rubs in my lack of Education & now the committee must know that I have none. I felt humiliated. Johnny was kind & took me to his heart. This was on Friday night. Today it is healed I know it doesn't matter about these snobs really - if they think less of me, they are less in themselves. I will go to the committee on Wed. & I may say that I think it was not courteous to keep me a month & not decide & then not let me know when they had appointed someone else. But I may say nothing.”61

"It is a pity we lost the meaning of charity as love"

Condolence Letter to John Hewitt. PRONI: D3838/3/19

58 Ibid: p. 36 59 Ibid: p. 45 60 Ibid: p. 53 61 Ibid: p. 44

Condolence Letter to John Hewitt. PRONI: D3838/3/19

Condolence Letter to John Hewitt. PRONI: D3838/3/19