Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1898. School Committee Election.

Manawatu Herald, 21 April 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1898. School Committee Election.

Next Monday evening the householders in the district are summoned to attend at the school-house to elect a committee for the ensuing year. Too often very little attention is given to this duty by the parents of the scholars attending the school, as they frequently leave it as a matter of luck whether any committee gets elected at all. We have so often deplored this state of things that we would rather see ingratitude showo by ousting the whole of the old committee, who have done good Bervice, than see no interest taken in school matters. It is probable also that the present committee would not feel aggrieved if others were placed in their positions, as the offices have been filled mostly from a sense of public duty. All holders of public positions get blamed, either for the sins of commission, or omission, and a school committee man was not likely to escape, but it goes without saying that the persons chiefly to blame are the parents who do not take sufficient interest in their children's school life. Soma err in not insisting on their children regularly attending school, others in not upholding the authority of the teachers of their children, which is of the utmost importance and has nothing whatever to do with the private opinion held of such teachers ; others, again, are too prone to complain about mere trifles, while again, others refrain from complaining when they should. The advantage of being a school committee man lies in being placed in a position where all sides of vexed questions are known and thus a better view of school management is gained. There fore a new committee would mean >a new number of men brought into contact with school work and thus brought within reach of a new experience. The present committee has been freely blamed for the compulsory attendance clauses being so strictly enforced. We have upheld this action, though it was none of the committee's doing, it having baen a direct action of the Education Board, but during its working we are assured that a good deal of the friction that has arisen has bsen greatly owing to the want of tact on the part of the head teacher, who upon being appealed to for infortna tion, which under the rules of the Board he has had to supply to the Truant Inspector, has refused ifi to the applicant and directed him or her, more often her, to the chairman of the school committee, though the explanation as to the form of app!i cation could have been given by him. This however was not a part of his strict duty and its performance, or otherwise, rested with himself. From the very introduction of the Truant Inspector the committee mot once each week, instead of, as in the past, once a month, to meet the parents in every way, by permitting absence from school on legitimate grounds. Still there is room for a deal of improvement in our local school, and towards it, little has been effected by the present committee. We bold very etrong views as to where the first alteration needs making, but in the absence of the support of ih 1 parents, who though complaining to committee men refrain from making a complaint that can be inquired into, we have been unable to move further in the matter. Certain matters are stated by one mother to another mother, and in a round about way to any member of the committee, which will be well-known "by those who read these lines, and yet from a dislike, as one mother expressed it, to be the first to com plain, matters go on as they still do. This leads us to consider whether, as our public pchool is a mixed sohool of girls and boys, ib would be a wise innovation to elect one half of the committee of ttie feminine gender. We would like to see three ladies agree to contest the position as we believe much good would result, and these obnoxious whisperings be either subdued, explained, or remedied. We hope this suggestion will be duly canvassed and given effect to at Monday night's meeting