The Chronicle LEVIN. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1917 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 24 February 1917, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1917 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

In another column of to-day's Oliron;cie appears an account of an experiment in "early closing" made by \Yangumti Jiiducation dicard. (During the J.eat wave of • this month the board instructions that the -schools were to be closed for half days whenever the heat was oppressive enough to prevent proper work being carried on! The permission was loyally acted upon by many headmasters; but there were exceptions. .Some schools were closed on every afternoon irrespective of the tlieimonitor indications; and thus a commendable departure from precedent was made a cause of dissatisfaction. This weakness, however, should not deter the hoard from perseverance with so desirable a scheme; there should be a set determination to alter the present practice of keeping young children at school studies throughout the hottest time of the summer. To our mind it seems desirable that there should be a total cessation of school instruction during the trying months ( f February. This could be best

achieved by reducing the Christmas holidays to one or two days, and by making the holidays begin on the 7th or 14th January. The six weeks from 7th-January to 18th February or thereabouts are .practically wasted weeks so far a 6 school tuition goes; we hut re-echo the experience of many old teachers in saying this. The schoolchildren, the teachers, and the communities all would be gainers by a departure from present practice.