Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Thursday 20 December 1928

Opportunities For Girls.

Alderman Miss Unwin on New Fields Ahead.

At the annual speech day of the Mexborough Secondary School, Alderman Miss Unwin was the chief visitor at the gathering in the school last night, and presented the certificates to the successful students.

Miss Unwin paid a remarkable tribute two the school and the Headmaster (Mr. T. W. Ireland). She said that the progress and development the school had been watched with delight by West Riding Education Committee. During its career of 24 years, 19 of which had been spent in that building, the thousands of pupils who had passed through school had reason to be thankful for the result of his work and genius.

Miss Unwin, dealing especially with the education of girls, and new fields which were opening out for women, mentioned as examples, industrial, welfare work, hospital, dietetics, demonstrations of gas and electric supply, and other directions. These, she said, were more or less new, and required a spirit adventure in a girl to take them up. There could be no doubt that these new fields offered progressive openings. At the moment the demand for special work of the kind was greater than the supply of workers in it.

The Headmaster said that the school was opened with 110 pupils, and it now had 681. When the extensions now in progress were completed in about two years’ time, it would be as well equipped as any secondary school this side of the Atlantic.

Mr. J. L. Hawksworth, chairman the Governors, was in the chair.