CONTINUATION CLASSES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 202, 21 May 1920, Page 7

CONTINUATION CLASSES

Sir,—We are reading these days the views and intentions of our education caiuoriLies, JJeiwdtwental and official.: We are being told of their intention ill' regard to the mental training of our children, and. tho "compulsion" to ba used. It 6eems to mo to bo the time, to express the parental sido of the ques-' tiou a little moro forcibly too. In tlieso days of Slate domination tlio : parents are only an unfortunate neees-, sity; still, their co-operation will make' for smoother working of tho system, and if it is desired a great deal more care needs to be taken of tho moral welfare of their children. Host parents, I am sure, aro quite eager and enthusiastio j about their children's education, ' or! rather instruction, but they are more, anxious for their education in its reiil. flense, tho moral training, the charac-) ter and formation of tho 6oul of the! child. •] In country districts, compulsory at-j tendance at night school is fraught with.« harm to our children, and unless 6ome! chango 'is made in the system parents] will not bo very keen on the matter. J • While we are to have more compul-j sion on the parental side, let us Have; a little on tho teaching side as woll.'j let it be understood by thoso who take; the responsibility of the head niaßtcr-j ship of a 6chool that they aro thereby j compelled to control and bo responsible] for the night school. At present too | ofton a teacher barely out of his 'teenai is the only one willing to take tlie job.,; I have heard numerous complaints abonti the' night classes—boys arid girls of goodj homes find 'with painstaking parents': get into bad company, or at least aro in., constat danger from . bad company. A little compulsion on the police force] compelling them to get out of tho beaten j track at such times and guard our chil-j dren from harm would ;be much appre-/ ciated by parents, I am 6ure. It is quite; an easy matter to compel other peoplo. to do this and that for their children's; pood montally, but if the State.is coin?' ■"/ act fn loco parentis, let it do it thoroughly and take all the care possible; at present it often does more, harm than good with its compulsory,! night classes.—l am, etc., I W. F. STENT. j The Vicarage, Taihape, May 18, 192 ft. >j