Correspondence

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 135, 24 April 1886, Page 2

Correspondence

We are not responsible for the opinions of our correspondents.] BAD ATTENDANCE AT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. TO THE EDITOB «F THE STAR. Sir, — My attention been called to the report of Mr^Bindon., Inspector of Schools, respecting the loss to this district by the Irregnlar attendance of the children -^afr ..Dlpj various schools. I take the liberty of suggesting the following! ~ s^ > en|.e ( <is' which has been in force in "Denmark for many years, and, is fouHdNagfWfcfiS? capitally. Whenever a chtidg^gf IFglol age is kept away from school, unless through illness, the parents- ar-e^fined for such non-attendance"; if the child attends regularly -no* 'cost is entailed upon the parents. No;wy §u£> in justice to the State, to each Educational District, to the elmdren, and last, though by no means least, to the teachers, something should bg T donfig to compel parents to send their children to school regularly. The present compulsory clause is simply a/dead letter for two very simple reasons, first, that committees do not like to prosecute their neighbotirs^an^^coudly, very often the ! c(WmitTees s snow a bad example themselves., Either then, make the compulsory; cL&tiße a reality, or give up, rtiie-r expensive system of Free Education. a In^jny travels about this dis^ct;"llSav^Been strufek with the nuitfl&^otPiitfsWreh loitering about irho&OSD&bA to be at school, and t, as a * n HßsE9ft UHWB* J object to see the counSncp^JSmti Q T - wasted on such persons, a¥jatffldlruiPlry it is wasted, whWtsi&ttngt&'imßbM benefit it is expended, Jtul^tf^Pake ■' advantage of it. Even thtf old Pro- \ vincial system caused a3d&fg9ggsj!ltf|£ ance . at the schools: .thak£!ji«y &&&£&- Act does. I mean wb»s tbaje tftAU^ tax of £1 per house* Ifaruspg cfift-g eluding this rather longrifettgg^amhL^ I ask if the teachers are fiqt some oonsideratioa?:, I f*hju^«t||gtf | pleasure of knowing ; many^ol^itainl^ and this irregularity of ati»ni^ksaj|^ their "bugbear." I _could"^ mention? instances where children hatLattonded „ barely 100 out of from one examination to aiiolher', at®* Qots which have not attended. ha|f time, and yet on examination day .they come ; before the Inspector and etpect to pass, and if they don'tV'tnen the' teacher is accused of not knowing hovr to teach, and in one or two cases I have known the children to be'f&Tton away from school altogether. 4 1 trust I have shown good reasons for an alteration in the working of the compulsory clause and, apologising fox troubling you. — lam, &c., ;iilu &' BAJBEirr.