Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, NOVEMB. 26, 1921. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2360, 26 November 1921, Page 2

Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, NOVEMB. 26, 1921. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

A NUMBER of parents of children ill tending the local State School were convicted and lined by the Magistrate yesterday for failing to send their children to school regularly. The attendance officer — a Board official —informed the Magistrate that the attendance at the Foxton school had been very lax — in fact, he referred to the state of affairs in stronger terms. After making due allowance for sickness, we must admit there is justification for the reflection east upon the community, added to this there has been the. enforced absence of the head teacher through illness, which may have been taken advantage of by certain parents. It cannot: be said, however, limt the head teacher displayed any laxity, as he has ever been keen to promote a full attendance. The acting head teacher has had to pull up the lee way, and his efforts for the welfare of the school are to be commended. Some parents do not seem'to realise the vast sum of money expended upon their children’s education by the Stale, and the set-back to their children’s educational welfare by irregular attendance. Such callous indifference on the part of certain parents would be brought forcibly home to them if they were compelled to pay directly for their children’s education. The Act makes school attendance compulsory, but provision is made for two committeemen or the head teacher to grant exemptions in the case of sickness, etc. Committees as a rule leave the granting of exemptions to head teachers, for obvious reasons. Recently the Board issued instructions to committees to curtail holidays. Acting on these instructions, “Show Day” at Palmerston was not observed as a local school holiday, and I his fact was publicly notified. Several parents, however, did not observe this decision, and as a result (bey were proceeded against. One parent appealed to the Board to have the summons withdrawn, and his appeal was granted, and the officer, in fairness to the others similarly prosecuted, withdrew the charges for “Show” absences. We are not going to argue just i lien lion or otherwise for such exemption, lml the Board’s action in over-riding Ihe officer and head teacher is. not onlv unfair to the officers mentioned, but is inconsistent with their own instructions, and needs further explanation, which it is hoped will be forthcoming, to avoid future unpleasantness, and to maintain a correct discipline in school administration.