Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, NOV. 1, 1894. The School Attendance Act.

Manawatu Herald, 1 November 1894, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, NOV. 1, 1894. The School Attendance Act.

The G.>vernm-nt have marie an effort to make the Education Act of some use to the colony at larg •. The old fiction that tdnoafcion in New Zealand was "free find com pulsory " raised many a smile anrl it is Well that some steps h tva been taken to force the children to reap the advantages tow.irds which all colonists are taxed. Last session the Government carried their School Attendance Bill which is now the law of the land, and parents had hest take heed of its provisions The Act starts with the ord:u* tha •^very child between seven anil thirteen years of age i8 required to attend some pubic sch >ol at least six biine«i a week, morning attend ances and afternoon attendance being separately counted. Thu* out of the five scbool days in the week, any child between those age?, residing within two miles of the nearest public school, must attend three days, or render the parent liable to a penalty not exceeding forty shilling-!, which payment shalI be no bar to furiher proceedings. ' and it is fimh-r set out that ih j parent of such child shall lv liable to a penalty of two shillings fir every such w-^k snob child -shall ihave atteuded less yis um*.

The Act thus imposes a heavy cost on the parent? who are so foolish as not to see that their chiidren attend school regularly. It is an Act which has been forced on the community from the worse than carelessness exhibited by parent, and i he direction that such must be altered \3 certainly to be heartily approved. The Act is nof hart-h as provision is made wh.M-fhy a. child i-* under fflicienfc and regular instruction ; or unable by reason of sickness, or other unavoidable cause to attend school ; or that the road is not siiffici-iitly passable ; or that he child has reach d he Standard pre>c ih-.-d a-f 'h- tt'audn-d of .->xoniption ; e;in '■h->in -i c.-r! ••H<vtrp from the School C-.iinmi'-tef, and if 'he pmvnt i.s dissatti fi.-d with its decision he cm appeal to the Education 13 aid. The onn* of prnof. showing that a child ha* attended or is attending a public school, or is exempted, is placed on the parent or guardian of the child. We earnestly trust that the local school commiuee m.iy not have to resort; to extreme irir'a.-urvs, aa the law is now so clear, and the enconragem nt"f truancy ocoiumon, that trouble and expense is bound in fall upon parents who do not read and learn. Th*- 1 Act. d.-mand^ the committee to lake action, the j-cliojl register shoffi? a very large number of names against whom action must be taken, unless a speedy improvement is made, and as money saved is money gained, so the prompt and punctual despatch of the children to school will save annoyance and fines. We do not doubt but that the committee will patiently investi gate any of the reasons, set out by the Act, tendered in excuse of absences, bat then there are none which will cover the dislike of the young people to attend to their studies, and it is this cause chiefly which op-rates in keeping down the average attendance. We trust after this warning the attendance at the school will sh .-w that we have not written in vain.