District High Schools.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 4, 18 June 1915, Page 2

District High Schools.

In these days of scientific treatment of every kind of work, even of what was once considered work that could be performed without the use of any brain power, it is very necessary that every child attending our schools should, before he leaves to take up the work at which he hopes to make a living, be armed with as much useful knowledge as possible. Recognising this, the Government some years ago, decreed that children who showa certain amount of promise should be allowed to go on beyond the ordinary Primary School curriculum, and to that end they established District High Schools at certain places, to which the children of surrounding schools could be sent if they showed a certain proficiency on passing the examination for Standard 6.

Manifestly, it would nave been better if this advanced education could have been given in every school in the Dominion, but the cost would have been altogether too great and would have crippled the scheme, as only comparatively few children avail themselves of the opportunity offered. One result of this necessary centralization ojh the advanced education is tnat children have often to travel long distances to school at very great inconvenience, especially in Winter. We have in mind particularly the children who have to go from Huntly to Hamilton to the High School there. To get there in time in the morning, they have to leave by the early morning train, which entails their rising at from 4.30 to 5.30 a.m. according to how far they have to walk to the Station. When we have had to travel by this train, we have often felt great pity for the poo little shivering mortals who are waiting about for a train that is often late. Often the children are carrying their breakfast in their hands eating as they go and looking anything but cheer ful.

Then in the afternoon, they have either to leave Hamilton so early as to miss the afternoon’s work, or else come by that train which wanders in at any time after 6.30 p.m, more often late than early. It thus comes about that in order to get five hours teaching the children have tc be away from home about twelve to fourteen hours a day. Now this is not good for the children, and the evil is so obvious that we need not dwell on it here, but we would ask why a District High School should not be established at Huntly, where there would certainly be a goodly number of scholars, and which is the centre of a district that would send many more. We believe that, an attempt was made to get a ,-High School established here many years ago, and that the project failed from lack of support, but we would suggest that the School Committee should now make another attempt. Perhaps after a few years of the harm and inconvenience resulting from the present system, parents would give a more united support to a movement which certainly has everything to recommend it and nothing against it. We trust that the committee will give this matter their earnest consideration, and if there are no insuperable difficulties in the way, that they will move the powers that be until the Huntly School is raised to the status of a District High School.