Only a Bit of Calico.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 193, 16 December 1893, Page 2

Only a Bit of Calico.

The Wellington Education Board spent considerable time recently in discussing the case of the little girl Morris, who had not been allowed to attend the Otaki School lately, owing to her parents refusing to send her to school on sewing days provided with a piece of calico for use in the sewing lesson. The chairman (Mr Blair) stated that the same trouble had occurred with one of Mr Morris' children a a year ago, but on that occasion the teacher gave in. Now, again this year, the child's parents had refused to provide the calico, and in consequence the Otaki schoolmaster had refused to allow the child to attend the school until the material required in the sewing lesson was brought, and his action had been upheld by the local school committee. Mr J. Young said it appeared to be merely a case of the suspension of the child. The chairman considered it to be more a withdrawal, and if a parent could withdraw a child from the needlework lesson the same could be done in regard to other subjects, and then practically the whole discipline of the school was gone. He did not think it was a case of expulsion. Mr Morris, father of the child in question, who waited oh the Board, said, in answer to all questions by various members of the Board, that what he wanted to know was whether the committee or the schoolmaster had power to exclude his child. He urged that the child was well behaved, and was taught sewing at home by her mother, and did not need the lesson in the school. He absolutely declined to provide her with calico for the lesson in school. - Mr Young pointad out to Mr Morris that the regulations of the school must be complied with, and he was out of Court in any stand he took against them. Mr Morris asserted that the schoolmaster at Otaki had j>ot a down on his children, and this was the cause of the trouble. In answer to the chairman, as to whether he intended taking legal proceedings to compel the committee to admit his child to the school, Mr Morris only re-asserted that he wanted an answer from the Board to the question he had already put. The chairman told Mr Morris that he had raised a great storm' over a very small matter. He would suggest to the Board that Mr Morris' child be examined in sewing as her father said she was taught at home, and that, if she passed, she be re-admitted to the school. *"" Dr Newman opposed this course and eventually, the Board went into committee to further consider the matter. The Board set out a number of questions for reference to their solicitor before taking any further action in the matter.