Compulsory Attendance.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 28 October 1890, Page 2

Compulsory Attendance.

In our last issue we notified tha i meeting of ilie lo<.ml School ( om uittee had b en c ill- d for Fr d.i next, to con i-ler whether the c m ulsory ntteudance clauses of tb Education Act i-hall be br uglit ini )perat on. It h;is become app ■ reii lint there are a num'n r of childrci A'ithin e sy d st;ince «>f tho s-chool \vho do not go to it, and that ;i n-iiii-iier who do ttond, do S'> in a most irrepular manner. To everyone it ip i. di.--a.ilva tit^ to have to nay I'm free scho lii.g if the i'u le.-t use is not ■ nude 'i that gilt. The irr«jnl. r n 1 mi 1 attendance of chil rei] nt Hchoi'l re ads to tho disa Iva lag ol the school and scholars. As the sclio 'l staff is ba-H i'ji he qiiai'ter> . averages, it is evident, when from some unknown cause, the children ntt> nd in full force, the teaching staff is not suffic ent, therefore the regular attendants and the irregu ar attendants both suffer If anything like a fir average of att ndam es of all the chil-iron within sc-h ol a^es cou d he secured tho .-t;;ff woul.l bu ar^'tr, ai.d evc-ryonc liettcr s.-.i t inliod , What bttva tho yareuts, who uegitci

to loolc uf <'i' their chi dreu's advantage, d-ne to :intkc it of < i oijse'{uence tbiii. they should not '>e con>>jellod t > | obey 'he law? h'.> A<-t piovidos 'or nearly every' real reason, so > hat we b li ve the Conimi tee would b dninjr good service tt) gve the compu's iry clau es a fair tiial. The Act pr 'vid s that the piren; i>v i^iiiirdiriii of a c nld nut less than s ve i nor more than thnleen y ars f .i.u'e, wljo l.ves within two mil s, inoas a* d bv tiie nea'^t r ad slia I send tha 1 ; oh i l l to pch"ol for at leas' ■)ii ■ half "t the . eriod in "'ac i year, during which tho school io usua ly open. The punishment for neg- ccting to obey, is that the parent or guardian shall be liable to a penalt> not exceeding forty shilling-, and the same proceedings nny b^ take woek by week in case of he f.tilur. ••y such parent to comply with tho order. The e emptious for which a cc!'tfi ate must be obtained from the 'orami teevar 1 : — : I hat the child is receiving regular inslruc ion or is atending a (irivate ■school : Th it the chi dis prevon ed iy sickness, temporal y or piTin.-uient nfiriniiy orothnr unavoidable cau-e : I hat the road is not s ifficvontly passable : Th it the Inspector h.is certifi d that th* j cliild has r.achid a standard of educa ion pres -nbtd by tue Act,