SCHOOL PICNICS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5364, 14 December 1928, Page 4

SCHOOL PICNICS.

SHOULD THEY BE ABOLISHED ! OPINIONS OF HEADMASTERS. “Should school picnics be abolished apd the money raised diverted to more useful channels ?” This question was discussed at a meeting of the Wellington, School Committees’ Association on Tuesday night, when, after a lengthy debate, a motion was carried to the effect that school picnics should not be curtailed.

. Mr J. K. Eady, headmaster of the Wellington South Schocj, said school picnics were always looked upon as pleasurable social functions. He certainly thought that if picnics were to be held the headmasters and the staffs should not be asked tq raise money for that purpose or to accept responsibility in any way qr the details. in his opinion, the mopey raised might be diverted to more useful channels, such as the establish-, ment of a reference library. The school should be a social centre, and a rallying point, but he did not think that there was any need for the holding of picnics year, after year. On the other hand, educational excursions or outings were good things, and should be encouraged.

Mr H. F. Penlingtqn, headmaster of the Island Bay School, said that the need of a picnic variedl according to each school. Schools in charming surroundings provided a picnic for the children every day of their life. He could name schools, he said, where a picnic was needed every year even at considerable expense. When it came to the average school, the questicp revolved round what amount was justified 1 . A school w as very much inneed of a picnic indeed if the ex-, penses amounted to, more than £4O or £5O. To sum up, picnics in themselves were certainly not objectionable. The only question was : What expense was justified ?

Mr N. A. Ingram said he objected strongly to the abolition of school picnics. The world to-day was jazzmad, and was drifting away from old u fashioned thingy. What harm could there possibly be in the holding of a picnic., which gave pleasure no-t only to the children but to the parents as well. Nobody objected to .a school having a first-class reference library, but £5O or £6o‘ spent on a large schqol for a picnic, was not too much when it was considered that the parents contributed practically every penny of it. The parents wanted the picnic, and were prepared to pay fqr it. If the school were so badly in need of a reference library, why had not the headmaster appealed to the parents. Mr T. Grimshaw said he was also in favour of the retention of the annual school picnics; it was the-one bright day in the lives of the children. After further discussion the following motion was carried : “That this association considers that school pinnies should not be curtailed.”