OUR SCHOOLS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 March 1925, Page 4

OUR SCHOOLS

(To the Editor). Sir—l noticed a letter in your paper a few days ago drawing attention io the disgraceful state of the grounds surrounding our local school. It is m> doubt a sorry sight. It appears to me 1 that there is great laxity on the part of both teachers and school committee, 1 in the matter of sport and care of grounds. On reading the speech of welcome to the All Blacks delivered by (lie Mayor of Christchurch the other day, 1 notice that his Worship attributes the success of the famous team to their early training on the school ground. In this connection, I would like to ask: What training in any branch of sport (cricket, football or anything else) do our local lads get? Absolutely none. For some considerable time past there has not been a master at our local school who appears to take the slighest. interest in the hoys, outside actual school hours. Surely the masters of the present day are not asked to do too much. Their hours are not excessive, and an hour or j two per week spout on the play ground { would not he out of the way. I con-1 sider a master should require qualieations outside, as well as inside, the school. Tlie playground is where a hoy's character is moulded in most cases. Teach the boys to learn to love clean sport and to he proud of their school. The only road to this is encouragement from the masters, organised competition among the boys, and competition between the schools of the district. Why do we have no annual < school sports here ? It is a groat- pity that such a state of things is allowed to exist, and I trust that now changes are taking place and the football season is about to start that something will lie done to remedy the fault.-—I am etc. PARENT.