Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, DEC. 14. 1895. School Attendance.

Manawatu Herald, 14 December 1895, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, DEC. 14. 1895. School Attendance.

«, The Foxton School Committee by their Clerk too 1 ? action in the Magia trate's Court on Thursday against certain parents who had neglectpd the caution previously given them to send their children regularly to school. So that the matter may bp quite clear we again repeat the clauses of the Act bearing upon the responsibilities resting upon parents. Clause 8 sets out that " every child between the age of seven years and the age of 18 years is hereby required to attend some public school at least six times a week, morning attendances and afternoon attendances being separately counted. Provided that this section shall not apply to any child whose place of ] residence is more than two miles from the nearest public school, the distance being measured by the shortest road, or who cannot conveniently reach a public school by [

1 railway. 5 ' [There is a further pro-. ! vision for 'exemption if the child is under efficient instruction* or sick, or the road is impassible, or the child has reached the Standard of exemp uou. Giu.use 5 ciders the committee 10 give the parent of any child who ought to atteod but does not* a notice calling upon such parent to send such child to school, and if the parent after the receipt of such notice neglects to send such child to school " such parent shall be sum* moned before any Stipendiary Magistrate, or any two Justices of the Peace, who shall order such parent to send such child to school." Any parent neglecting to obey or after obeying the order for a time, ceases . to obey it, shall be liabla to a penalty not exceeding forty shillings. Clause 7 relates to any child on a schoolroll, who, by not attending "at least six times in any week in the course of which the school is open 9 times " is liable to a penalty of two shillings for every such week, but the number of weeks is restricted to two months. The whole onus of proof to the contrary to the claim of the committee " shall bo on the parent or guardian of such child." The Act is thu3 exceedingly clear and the committee has taken a lot of trouble to bring these clauses under the notice of parents ■. Eegular attendance at school i 3 a duty parents must attend to, both for the advance of their own and their neighbour's , children. If more interest was taken in the working of State Schools than there is, it would be easily appreciated the many advantages gained by the regular attenddance of all scholars on the school roll. First, regular instruction, day by day, guides the scholar from point to point in the subjects in the I Standards, and examination day ! makes it very clear who are thoss who do not attend each day. To the teachers existence would be made more bearable when the work done 1 each day went straight home to the whole instead of part of their Standard. All scholars being regularly present would enable all to forge ahead as the regular attendants would not then be taken back to old and well-known subjects, in order that the erratic attendants might be brought Up into line with them. Parents often are ready to ask why a teacher has so many to teach, urging that the school must be under-staffed. We unhesitatingly say that every school is short of teachers reckoned in proportion to the number on the ro.ll. The school, afc times, is crowded, and, owing to the small number of teachers, a number of the scholars get but little instruction, who are the sufferers ? Those who attend regularly? or those intermittingly ? All suffer, as it cannot be helped. In justice, those who put in an occasional visit should be left severely alone, but the Act does not contemplate such a step, and thus a day's work in the school is wasted, by the regular attendants being neglected, whilst the " visitors " are being coached up in what has been going on in the Standard during their absence. A ridiculous position viewed in this proper manner. If the attendance was regular the school would be entitled to a larger teaching staff and thus each scholar would be attended to. The funds ot the committee would be bettered by the capitation received from the Board being larger. Thus in evory way great advantages would follow the turning over of a new leaf by parents of children of school age, and their seeing during the coming year their charges attend regularly at school. The committee are in earnest in their intention to proceed, week by week, against all who disregard the law, as they consider that during the past twelve months they have done all they could to ' post ' the parents up in their duties, and have erred very much on the side of leniency. The Magistrate spoke out very plainly on Thursday, for, though inflicting the i small penalty of sixpence per week for absences, these being the first brought in the Foxton Court, he announced that in future he would inflict the lull penalty directed by the Act. We distinctly desire parents to note how expensive this will be to them, and we trust they will make every effort to do that which they must do, and which they should do for their children's benefit ; for the good of their neighbour's children ; and do that which will be to the benefit of the whole town.