HOME TASKS FOR SCHOOL PUPILS.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 52, 17 March 1937, Page 4

HOME TASKS FOR SCHOOL PUPILS.

Tke appearance in this district of the malady we speak of as infantile paralysis, while affording no occasion for panie in the mlnds of parents, still calls for the taking of evexy possible precaution to pxevent its spread. This has been fully realised by 'both the health , and the educational authorities, who have taken prompt action to that end. What mainly is to be expected of the parents is that they, too, should observe and impose upon their children the restrictions and preventive measures which have been suggested to them. If only this is don'e there should be no great fear of the infection secuxing any serions hold in this healthful loeality. It is no doubt rather a difficult ffiatter to prevent children from congregating to some extent, but that is a labour of love which, for a whiie at any rate, parents will have to undertake. In the meantime they will in doing this derive a good deal of assistance from the highly commendable steps the educational authorities are taking for providing the pupils otf the vailpus SchooJs witjb home tasks that will keep them safely employed for at least a good deal of their time. Here, again, the cordial co-operation of the parents will be essential' if any good is to come of the trouble that is being taken to minimise the disadvantages arising from this further break in school work. It will only be if the parents keep the youngsters up to the mark in carrying through the work set for them that this object will be gained. They ,if anyohe at all, should be the first to recognise the value of what is being done in order to see that their children should not fail behind their classmates and so be discouraged by a sense of inferiojity when school resumes. After all, this is not a great deal to ask of the parents when we come to remember that it is the normal thing in not a few back-bloek households, where teaching by correspondence is the only recourse. Nor is it anything more, indeed is a good deal less, than the old-time pioneers had to do, year in and year out, if their children were to get auy education lat all.