DROP IN SCHOOL ROLLS
Steady Fall In Thirty
Years
The Southland primary school population has been declining slowly but steadily for almost 30 years, and the total number of children on the rolls has fallen by about 1500 in that period. The decline might have been accelerated slightly since the present war began by the unusual opportunities afforded in war-time for children to secure employment, but such a trend has not occurred in Southland to the extent that it has in certain northern districts, where a large number of secondary industries are concentrated in city areas. The fall in the birthrate appears to be responsible principally for the downward trend. Just before the last war began the school rolls reached a peak of about 12,000 pupils. By September 1918 the number had fallen to 11,798. The decline has been stead” since then and the latest figures available, for May of this year, show that there are 10,565 children registered at primary schools in the province. During the same period the numbers of children attending city schools have increased substantially and two new schools have been built in Invercargill to meet the greater needs for accommodation.
A striking example of the extent to which secondary school pupils have been lured into employment since the war began is provided by the records of the Southland Technical College. The college was opened in 1912 at about the time when primary school rolls were at their peak, and in the first year the roll number was 130. Growth was steady and rapid, and in 1939 a peak of 773 pupils was reached. Since the present war began there has been a marked falling off in attendances, and the present roll stands at only 595. Similar falls have not occurred at the high schools in Invercargill, indicating that the greatest demand for labour has been for young people with training in trades.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST19420820.2.27
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Southland Times, Issue 24827, 20 August 1942, Page 4
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317DROP IN SCHOOL ROLLS Southland Times, Issue 24827, 20 August 1942, Page 4
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