THE SCHOOL WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1162, 24 June 1911, Page 10

THE SCHOOL WORLD.

A WEEKLY REVIEWi NOTES FROM TOWN AND COUNTRY. Teachers and others interested in the ad- : ministration of education are invited to contiibulo notes for publication in "Tho School World." Theso should bo addressed to the Editor. "Tho School World," Tub Dominion. Wellington, ' and posted to reach this office not . later than Wednesday in each week. Correspondents desirinc enlightenment upon any Question in connection with tho school work, or the general administration of the education system, arc invited to submit theso points to tho Editor for elucidation and reply. Where anonymity is desired, it will bo strictly observed. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. "Interested."—(l) A teacher is amenable to the junior cadet regulations only in his capacity as a cadet officer. (2) i\'o— that is not so. GIRL PEACE SCOUTS. ASPERSIONS EEFUTBD. When the Stratford troop of Girl Peace Scouts were being formed (states the Stratford "Evening Post" of Juno IS) statements were made regarding a certain troop of girls who set up to be Girl Peace Scouts, who were alleged to be composed of not the most desirable class of girls, and who were designated "the monkey troop." Keports of theso remarks have reached the ears of Lieuten-ant-Colonel Cossgrove, Dominion Chief Scout, who has since written to the paper in which the report of tho meeting appeared (the Stratford "Post"), contradicting certain statements made by some men in Stratford to the effect that the Girl Peace Scouts ;of tho city of Wellington were not of good character; that they were seen about tho streets at night and were in tho habit of meeting the Boy Scouts, in their outings, etc. "When tho report reached me from Stratford- (states Lieutenant-Colonel Coss- ■ grove), I requested the Wellington Council to make the fullest inquiries into the • conduct .of their girls,. and Mrs. Quick, tho acting-president in the absence of Lady Ward, desires me tp most emphatically deny tho charges made, as there is not a ; vestige _of .truth in them. The C4.P.S. of Wellington are a very respectable class, and their conduct at all times ,is above/reproach. Two cases, Mrs. Quick says, Were open to suspicion. Ono girl on returning from her troop meeting had to run. for ■ the doctor'before sho had time to change her:uniform. Tho other went With her brother to a place of amusement'after the meeting.

"The "Wellington Council .has set a very high standard of conduct for their troops, anil naturally are' very .indignant at the unmanly'attack made .upon tho characters of n largo number''of'highly respectable girls and young women. Indeed, it is the unanimous wish of the council to take this matter to the Education Board of the offending teachers, and, if necessary, to the Minister himself. Personally, I do not favour such an extreme step, but I think these men should, in a manly way,- admit- their error."

The Hon. the Minister for Education, in a recent speech in Wellington, said: "Tho time.has gono by -when sensible peoplo ridiculed tho Girl Peace Scout movement." Lady. Islington is patroness of the movement in New .Zealand, and her Majestv has expressed her approval too. Tho G.P.S. of Stratford are, therefore, in company, and can afford to smile at the criticisms of tho ignorant." CORONATION HOLIDAYS; DISSATISFACTION- AT ELTHAM. The elaborate arrangements made by the Wangauui Education Board for the schools celebrations on Coronation Day were'criticised by the teaching staff at tho Elthaih District High School in a report presented t'o the committeo-by-'-the headmaster at tho monthly meeting of the committee tho other evening. The statement read as follows:— The Dohixiox newspaper of- a, few days ago stated that all of the schools under tho Wellington Education Boa id were- to have two weeks' holiday at Coronation _ time. This may bo tho ordinary midwinter week with an extra week added for Coronation. The Dominion of Saturday last refers to holidays being given by tho Taranaki Education BoaTd, but their length is- not stated. As to Wangauui schools, the sanlo''issuo; of The-Dominion states'th'it pupils are' to go through' a long and arduous programme of work on Coronation Day, which is quito unnecessary, as the Coronation is very fully and ably dealt with in the last issue of tho Education Department's School Journal, and by this timo this has been all read and studied by all Dominion pupils, Wanganui included. Then the Coronation Day's work is to ho followed by ono holiday, Friday, 23. On the following Monday, all tho Wanganui pupils and teachers will go on working, while tho neighbouring districts will bo enjoying a holiday. The Government seems to intend that all parts of the community shall onjoy themselves during that wock. as excursion fares are offered on the railways. From participation in this enjoyment tho Wanganui teachers are debarred,, aud if any of tho Wangauui parents tako any school pupil for a holiday during that week, the Wanganui Education Board's truant inspector will prcfiecuto. them for truancy, while the children of tho neighbouring boards may travel freely, and aro. induced to do so by tho concessions of tho Railway Department. Now as (o tho Wauganni teachers themselvs*. Their last holiday was a week at Easter. As no Coronation week is given, their next holiday will be the spring term holiday, tho first week in September. That means an unbroken run of, work from April 2 last to September i next, nineteen continuous weeks. This is very trying for tho female teachers, and may mean that some may want sick leave which means that their work is thrown on to other already fully worked teachers. It is not so long ago, last November, that the Wanganui Education Board had at one meeting no fewer than' 1G applications for fas the Wanganui "Chronicle" of November 8 slates) "ill-health, etc." and at that meeting one member is stated to have.spoken against the policy of the Wanganui Education" Board giving less holidays than other boards. In contrast with the Wanganui arrangements it should be noted that at Homo Mr. Eunoiman is giving all the school children of tbe United Kingdom ono week's holiday for tho Coronation. Mr. Thomas (headmaster) added that if a week were given for the Coronation then the year would be very fairly divided as to work an<T holidays, thus:— Fobruarv 1 to April 13, 11 weeks, followed' by the Easter week: April 24 to Juno 21, 9 weeks' lessons followed by-the Coronation week; July 3 to September 1, 9 weeks lessons followed bv the spring term week; September 11. to Christmas. 14 weeks followed by the midsummer vacation. ; After briefly discussing the abovo statement, the committee resolved to write to the representatives on the boaTd drawing its attention to tho matter.