SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 495, 30 April 1909, Page 5

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

X'A- ; L^: : ;y v'.'There .ore two:ieatures,lof,'fho';atteridahco firoblem.-. which /merit, "more /.careful .'attention, ~,.. han-fthey receive," states'/a 'report .by '.the in- '■-■; on,the'subject of ..school attendance,;, "Notwith- .'.-'•.'■' BWnding-the existen'coiof.'a'Compulsory attends ;, :auce;law;up to'the Pifth'Standard, of thechil-' .. : dren-'who 'enter ■■■ the.;.Third;Standard- in':this ;, district nearly. 6-per,cent;are withdrawn before. •■ ..theyj.reach; the/Fourth: Stahdard,'y2o>per'?cent. : - .':,before.^they;'reaoh,:the;Pifth':Standarcf,i and 85; ,■ -per, cent, before .theyreach the Sixth Standard. y ThusSthevThird. Standard-fell -from --H)iß- in •;s;;l9osAto a-FourthvStandard-off 1918 .in 190G, :r,;-ra> : Pirai ...Standard -.-. : 17 M:, in ' 19D7,' and ' >'!\wh'envthe..:avMage*of.;ftll7pupils';dttendinff-'nad;'- ' ..yincreased,from.li,o7l. to,-15,012.V;An examination '■■'■; ■• °f ; ;y,our.'reports. shows a/similar: shrinkage 'in" '.';','. numbers:' throughout, 'the"Dominion- as the M pupils; advance;;from;tho;-Third to tho Sixth '■:''■■> Standard.: '<:'_■}'; v!- 1 :-.; v'.-,^-. r ■'■'■' '•• *.' ; •'•"..':- . ; . 'v"A's'e'cond uisbiif factory featuroVbf ourschool■ :■'.;■■.:life::is".the;'groivth'.in'riumbefs?of what may be ,:;.called'.'.the/legal ''attender;.'who- knows so'.well •, i.what,,the .law ■ requires'., .that.;ho 'absents himcase :'. of ;the legal. attender .will;: in' the- opinion, of .'; ahd,:as it -Inn's'; ascertained,, of -nearly , : 7©very,jothpr..b6ardyri;:the> Dominion,;be:best- ,'.; - met s ,by on'amendment: of-Section'--UP. -Educa./Vtion;Act, ; 190S,''OTthvaVview 1 ;to-compel! the: at-: ./..teridancey:every '-.day,': of ; :all:pripils:Vof i cbmpul-: : y:f B o!;y•; age,vexcopt/whore"satisfa'otory-;rcasbn for ■:■'■' is -.given.,; The:, increase-in: the', h timber- -;;, of,,pupils of •:,• this >.'somowbht. : - ; -unsatisfactory.- .: ...^. tectfuLadministration;and--proper ..,. : exemption .safeguards,, such. an,amendment of i/v.^hej-law,would not involve-hardship;.'-:. As-you "* '-.': a ™ aware, the amendment here recommended is :' already .in"' operation: in ' tho : more progressive ...;;; of : the; United:S.tetes;'V-:-.' v -:,-.'•-: -y ;: :.* .-.-•: