The Value of Girls

SEEKING KNOWLEDGE EARNESTLY.

O Kuokoa Newspaper; Aloha oe.—We see the words placed proudly above, “the value of girls seeking knowledge earnestly.”

Teaching girls knowledge is something not important for Hawaiian parents, who say, “When boys are educated, they can go on to Lahainaluna, and return and find a job and get riches.” But educating girls is a waste of their parents efforts, and so forth.

Come now! look at this that makes clear the truth of the words above. The Law was passed that boys would be segregated in separate schools where possible, and men teachers would be selected for the boy students, and women teachers for the girl students.

And the Principal of our District, J. S. Low, has put this into practice, selecting women teachers in this past September, as per his Announcement: D. Kaholua (f), as teacher for Kapalama; Emaria Kalauli (f), teacher for Kawaiahao; and so forth; the number of female teachers in our District is six; they have reaped the wealth from their seeking education.

However, the majority of women teachers are from Molokai; they are intelligent and educated, they were taught well by Mr. Hitchcock [Hikikoke] and Mr. Dwight [Duaika], the teachers of Molokai.

What about you all, indifferent ones, skeptics, and the foolish? Stop this; put effort into education; the Law has allowed knowledgeable women to become Teachers, like these women that we see these days.

G. W. Kahiolo.

(Kuokoa, 1/16/1864, p. 3)

Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Buke III, Helu 4, Aoao 3. Ianuari 16, 1864.