BOARD V. DEPARTMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 60, 5 December 1918, Page 7

BOARD V. DEPARTMENT

WHEN SCHOOLS. SHOULD tfF.OPEX

.Correspondence' between the Education Department and the Wellington Education Board was read at tho meeting of the board yesterday, which disclosed to the meeting the Department's disapproval of lira board having fixed .upon February' 4 as the date ior the reopening of the schools.' From the letters it was gathered"that the- Department held (hat the Wellington Board need not have been po precipitate, in deciding the reopening day for February ■ -I, mentioning January 21 as a more' appropriate day, and suggesting that tmitorm action should be taken,throughout the Dominion. The'chairman naid that he had consulted members of the board, and it had been, tentatively, arranged, after consideration, to reopen the-schools on the usual-date—February'4. He read a communication from the Department, in' which the other , boards had expressed their views on the reopening date, but he thought they would be wise-to adhere :to February i. One reason was that the boys',and girls' colleges, here wm'b to bs closed, until '.February •!,. nnd for the sake''of parents who have children attending the, schools, and colJeges,- he _ thought the Jxuil'd's holidays should coincide tvith those of the colleges. Then they had to remember the very hard work their teachers had done iii fighting ;lhe epidemic—some of them would not be able to resume work before the. usual dat-e. They were entitled to a . little consideration. Uniformity had nothing to do with the question! They had nothing to do with Auckland or the Bluff. He moved that they re : open the'schools ■on the usual date—February 4; . '••'.■■ :

Mr. K. P. IJishwqrth, in seconding the motion, : 'said that Vnaiiy'of the ,, teachers' ■ would not be able to resume at- un earlier date. It. would take" them a month or two to recuperate. It had Lfi be remembered' that the- work they, hail been, called upon to do was ijuiic apart from their usual duties. They-had to nurse sick people, spouse down' patients, do heavy washing and housework,- at the same time witnessing .'distressing scenes that -really put n great strain on them, though they not feel it at the time. 'It would, too, be a serious' .matter to interfere with the ordinary holiday season, as families frequently'| arranged to take houses at the seaside up end of January. Above all, it ivjn* .jsenf.ial. that every opportunity should, be given for children to get all the sunshine and fresh uir possible in order to fit. them for their duties—particularly those who had- suffered freni the epidemic. ' ' Mr, Harkhes's, in ..supporting' the motion, said that some of their workers were, exhausted and - prostrated by the work, and had been ordered a long rest by medicul men. He thought it was an insult to the .intelligence of the board to be asked.by the Department to wait for the decision of tho other boards. "We consider." said Mr. Harkness, "that we lead in education, not follow others. After the recent efforts of the teachers it is ridiculous to quibble over a iveok. Aβ a matter of consistence we slJould niake.it plain -that we mean what we say." The resolution was .carried. On the motion of Mr. T. Moss it. was decided.to urge the Department to nake February I the date for the reopening of all State schools. .■