Las cosas han cambiado un poco....

Question

Esto me llegó en el correo hace unos días, y pensé que sería interesante compartirlo con SD. Se trata del texto real de un contrato que debían firmar las maestras con el Consejo Nacional de Educación de México, en 1923.

This is the true text from a contract that aspiring female teachers had to sign with the National Council of Education of Mexico in 1923. Things may have changed a tad, since then.

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MODELO DE CONTRATO QUE FIRMABAN LAS MAESTRAS CON EL CONSEJO NACIONAL DE EDUCACION

Municipio de Montemorelos, estado de Nuevo León, México.

CONTRATO DE MAESTRAS AÑO 1923

'Este es un acuerdo entre la señorita..........maestra, y el Consejo de Educación y de la Escuela por el cual la señorita .......................... ........acuerda impartir clases por un período de ocho meses a partir del.....................de 1923.

La señorita acuerda:

1* - No casarse. Este contrato quedará automáticamente anulado y sin efecto si la maestra se casa.

2* - No andar en compañía de hombres.

3* - Estar en su casa entre las ocho de la tarde y las seis de la mañana, a menos que sea para atender una función escolar, en cuyo caso sera precisada una ficha firmada del tutor

4* - No pasearse por las calles de la plaza, ni permanecer en las heladerías de los alrrededores.

5* - No abandonar Montemorelos bajo ningún concepto sin el permiso del presidente del Consejo de Delegados.

6* - No fumar cigarros. Este contrato quedará automáticamente anulado y sin efecto si se encontrara a la maestra fumando.

7* - No beber cerveza, vino, ni licor. Este contrato quedará automáticamente anulado y sin efecto si se encontrara a la maestra bebiendo.

8* - No viajar en ningún coche o automóvil con ningún hombre excepto su hermano o su padre.

9* - No vestir ropas de colores brillantes.

10* - No teñirse el pelo.

11* - Usar al menos dos enaguas.

12* - No usar vestidos que queden a más de cinco centímetros por encima de los tobillos.

13* - Mantener limpia el aula:

a) Barrer el suelo del aula al menos una vez al dia.

b) Fregar el suelo del aula al menos una vez por semana con agua caliente y jabón.

c) Encender el fuego a las siete, de modo que la habitación esté caliente a las ocho cuando lleguen los niños.

d) Limpiar la pizarra una vez al día.

l4* - No usar polvos faciales, no maquillarse ni pintarse los labios.

Fuente: 'La Revista del Consejo Nacional de la Mujer' Año 4, Nro. 12. marzo 1923. Monterrey, N.L.

It was the same in England. - ian-hill, May 18, 2011

Answer 1

It's rather interesting that about the only thing the contract doesn't mention is what to teach, or how to do it......

Answer 2

Well, I never did want to be a teacher. Now I know why.

There should be discipline measures taken if the teacher tried to teach her/his pupils while drunk but simply banning any alcholol seeems like using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut ! - FELIZ77, May 1, 2011

You need to keep in mind the concept of "morality" of those days, plus the fact that at this time Mexico was an ultra-conservative Catholic society, plus this is a contract meant for young maiden women, who had nearly no rights, and had to be "protected" - Gekkosan, May 1, 2011

..from the corruption of an evil world. - Gekkosan, May 1, 2011

Gekko yes in view of what you have just said that makes sense even though it still appears somewhat harsh/extreme - FELIZ77, May 2, 2011

Answer 3

Si lo entiendo bien se dice ''No beber cerveza, vino, ni licor. Este contrato quedará automáticamente anulado y sin efecto si se encontrara a la maestra bebiendo''

If I understand it correctly it says: No drinking beer, wine or liquor. This contract will be automatically cancelled.(made void) and without effect if the teacher is (lit; will be) found found drinking

Gekko, plesae explain why it says: sin efecto = without effect ? Surely it should say With effect ?

I think a better, no literal translation would be "will be automatically made void and will be without effect", that's how I understood it - Felixlynx, May 1, 2011

I would just translate it as "null and void" - Izanoni1, May 1, 2011

It is as Izanoni says. The formula "quedará anulado y sin efecto" is translated exactly as "will be redered null and void". - Gekkosan, May 1, 2011

As stated above, the "without effect" refers to voiding the contract. - danrivera, May 18, 2011

Answer 4

Limpiar la pizarra una vez al día Heck yeah.

I thought that was what they made naughty children for...at least it was when I was growing up. - Izanoni1, May 1, 2011

I think this does not refer to simply erasing the blackboard, but to a deep cleaning, along with the rest of the classroom. - Gekkosan, May 1, 2011

In other words, she had to be janitor, as well as teacher. - Gekkosan, May 1, 2011

The contract never says HOW she was to accomplish the cleaning tasks... naughty children could then be used as tools. ;-) - danrivera, May 18, 2011

In the 1920's, children had even fewer rights than young unmarried women. You can bet your butt they got used for all kinds of housekeeping tasks! - Gekkosan, May 18, 2011

Answer 5

Took me a while, but I feel sorry for those teachers. But does anyone else find number 4 a bit ridiculous?

Not in view of the strict morality of those days. These were young, unmarried women who were in charge of shaping the impressionable minds of small children. Therefore the conduct had to be above any possible reproach. If we think about it, that concept - Gekkosan, May 1, 2011

...is not that different from the unrealistic, hipocritical "moral" expectations placed on politicians and other public figures. It's still cause for international headlines when it comes to public light that some senator has a mistress, specially if he - Gekkosan, May 1, 2011

happens to be Republican and Conservative! The truth is that anything goes, as long as it's not in the Public Domain! - Gekkosan, May 1, 2011

I think that perhaps, in those days, walking around the plaza or hanging around the ice cream shops may have been construed as looking for boys. Not sure, just guessing. - danrivera, May 18, 2011

Answer 6

Wow! Very interesting!

Answer 7

¡Que fotografía más preciosa! Y este documento -- creme de la creme... Lo que me extraño es que en cuanto a la regla que trata del pelo no haya ninguna información sobre cabello suelto. Todas las chicas en la fotografia no lo tienen. Se decía en el pasado que cabello suelto era demasiado atrevido, ¿no?

I'm not really sure how to say this politely. Er...hum... You seem to have lost a bit of weight. A mean, a bit much.. :) - Gekkosan, May 18, 2011

La foto no se corresponde al artículo original. Yo puse una foto de la misma época, pero no es el mismo lugar. - Gekkosan, May 18, 2011

Answer 8

Man, that scared me. #13. I thought how strict can they be? Keep your aula clean. I had to look that up. My first thought was that it was a reference to feminine hygiene.

Funny, we have this word in Polish and it means exactly the same. So Polish is not that far away from Latin, in fact :) - bomberapolaca, May 18, 2011

Bwaaaa, hah, hah, hah! That's really funny, Matt! :-D - Gekkosan, May 18, 2011

Answer 9

No me encuentra extraño! Exijo el mismo comportamiento de parte de mi hija!

I don't find this strange. I demand the same behavior from my daughter!

There we go. Go ahead and explain it all to Mariana then. :) - Gekkosan, May 2, 2011

"No lo encuentro extraño..." - 002067fe, May 18, 2011

Answer 10

This is very interesting Gekko, and it was also good vocabulary practice!!

I thought so too! :) - Gekkosan, May 1, 2011

Answer 11

Good stuff....looks like the governing fathers of Nuevo León took their cues straight from the Lowell handbook.

Particularly interesting was this little tidbit:

Encender el fuego a las siete, de modo que la habitación esté caliente a las ocho cuando lleguen los niños.

I've never been, so I just thought I'd look it up, and this is what I found:

Forecast for Next Weekend

Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico

Fri	Sat	Sun
Hi: 100 °F	Hi: 107 °F	Hi: 109 °F
Lo: 68 °F	Lo: 71 °F	Lo: 64 °F

It's a good thing that the teachers got there early to warm up the classroom...wouldn't want the little tykes to freeze to death after that long trek through the arctic wasteland.

Jeje...On second thought, maybe there's something to that "global warming" thing after all.... - Izanoni1, May 1, 2011

Monterrey is a desertic area. It can have drastically different temperatures between day and night, and Winter and Summer. If you see here: http://www.tododemonterrey.com/weather.htm, you can see that temperatures can get in the mid 30ºF, single digits in - Gekkosan, May 1, 2011

ºC in Wintertime. - Gekkosan, May 1, 2011

I hear you loud and clear, Gekkosan....Jejeje...I was actually aware of the regular climate down there. The post was meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it looks like my teeth must have gotten in the way again...Oh well, c'est la vie - Izanoni1, May 1, 2011

Answer 12

10 is a really good rule (for anyone, not just teachers)!

Answer 13

And teachers think they have it hard now.

Answer 14

Very informative. Thanks!!

Answer 15

Muy interesante, Gekkosan. ¡Gracias! I also feel sorry for any young men who had a fancy in any of these contracted teachers.

There were strict rules for dating, and many clever ways to get around them. But if the lady in question succeeded in getting married, she then became her husband's responsibility, and dind't have to be watched quite as closely! - Gekkosan, May 18, 2011