AN UNJUST SYSTEM.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 243, 28 June 1928, Page 8

AN UNJUST SYSTEM.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCES. Staffing Basis is Wrong. Country Schools Penalised. For many years country school teachers and committees all over the Dojninion have been fighting against tile injustice of basing the staffing of schools upon the average attendance instead of upon the average roll. They would seem to be the leaders of a forlorn hope, though the position might be radically changed with proper organisation among the committees through their association. Another hefty blow was struck at the injustice ol Lie system by Mr. J. F. Wells, headmaster of the Matamata Junior High and Primary Schools, who reported to the primary committee as follows:

“ The average roll for month was 2CO; average attendance for month, 214.8; percentage of attendance for month, 82.6. The percentage of attendance is still very low, and can to a certain extent be accounted for by the amount of sickness that "prevails at this time of the year. There is no doubt, however, that the winter attendance is lamentably poor in country schools as compared with those of the city, where on wet mornings children can obtain shelter from the shop verandahs and can keep comparatively dry. They also have good footpaths right up to the school gates, .and either have a short distance to go or can use tramcars. Country children, on the other hand, have to go long distances through mud or wet grass with no hope of shelter from an extra heavy downpour, the result is that children who are at all delicate or susceptible to colds are kept at home. They lose much schooling, and the unfortunate teacher has to struggle to get these children to make up for the time lost. It will thus be seen that the staffing of country schools on average attendance instead of average roll is most unjust. Take the above figures, for instance: 260 children, many of whom are poor attenders, have to be brought up to the required standard of efficiency, yet the school is staffed not for 260, but for 214.8. Of course, we have been given an extra assistant and so are comparatively well off. But all contributing must be suffering, and all country school committees throughout New Zealand should unite in asking that average roll be made the basis of staffing the schools under their control.”