School Committees and Parents.

Manawatu Herald, 3 February 1894, Page 2

School Committees and Parents.

Owing to the action of a Mr Morris at Otaki objecting tb the committee upholding the act of the teat*. hei' in expelling his daughter from the school because she failed to obtain some calico for ft, sewing lesson, the Board has had to resort to a professional opinion which has luckily been given against the committee and in favour of Mr Mot'risi 'The : solicitors we_e Messrs Brandon, Hislop and Brandon who state n We are ot opinion that the JMiooi Committee ca.-.rid. lawfully expel or exclude from the school any girl who does not supply material for the sewing classes; S_\. irig and needlework are among the subjects perscribed by the Education Act to be taught to girls, and so far as the attendance of girls ab the school is compulsory, it is compulsory for them fco attend fche sewing classes.'' This answer has for Bed the Board to request the committee to aefc in accordance with it, in other words to permit the girl Morris to Attend the school. We arfe satisfied that this is o.s tfc should be, otherwise the wonderful farce of our " Free and Compulsory Education " would be even greater than ifc is. Had the committee's action been upheld we would have witnessed ah Act of Parliament directing children to attend school under pains and penalties for neglect, and on the other hand committees ordering fcheir absence because their parents had not the money to purchase materials which fche teachers thought fife to order should be procured. We do nofc like the present system, and predict thafc before long some great changes musfc be effected in it, bufc ifc would have been too ridiculous for the people to direct free education and then for a committee to order otherwise. This decision will cause other points to be considered which are open to very much the same objection as this supplying of material, --whioh we may hereafter refer to.