GIVING THEM A START.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1106, 20 April 1911, Page 4

GIVING THEM A START.

THE TEACHEE'S HELPING HAND. (By Talcßrttih.-Epecial Correspondent.) Auckland, April 19. Boys who owe little or nothing to home training cost tho teacher much troublo that he ought to be spared. In the course of his annual report, presented at the meeting of the Ci/y Schools Unimjt. teo last night, Sir. W. H. Draflin, headmaster of the Chapel Street School, referred to the eond work that had beta done bv his teachers for the betterment of pupils. As an instance, Mr. Draftn stated that a boy recently left his school with a Sixth Standard certificate and an excellent character. Somo four years ago this lad drifted to the school after bavins been turned out of school after school as "no good." The boy's environment at home proved to be the cause ot his downfall, but by careful training at sohool, he was speedily fitted for the batThe principal actor in another instance elated was a five-year-old child, who was brought to the school with a record, being already beyond his parents control. This young man of five had, a great love for moving picture? unci visited a picture-house every night. As ho did not return home after s:hoo horns, e « naturally hmw after the performance, and required, and genornUj obtained, a Mippev nightly at one or other of the places open at a laic hour. Pome t nies ho varied his after-supper rambles with a bus ride, rawly arriving at homo before midnight. On one or two oeca<\cns he returned ni the curly horns of tw morning. Tlh> teachers took the lad in liniul. and put him on tho right pa h. "Tal-elv," wonl on tlio report, ' we had a family whose ntrrmlanco suddenly berame nil. I vis tod the lio««j. winch 1 found in a very dir'.y state, .live la hei was in gaol and Ihc mother in the lie* ,°i Vim household consisted of fiv« vomiK children. wl, ° vn f in cl \ :lr " 1 0 a cirl of fourteen years of age, only half, wilted Arr.Mifrcmonts wore made wr tho cni-e of the cbildivn, whoso surround, inns were soon made more pleasant.