A SCHOOL GRIEVANCE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 51, 31 October 1913, Page 6

A SCHOOL GRIEVANCE.

THREE CHILDREN REMOVED. THE PARENT FINED. At the Court this morning A. J. Spence, of Pohokura, ws charged on the information of the Taranaki Education Board’s Truant Inspector (Mr Archie Hooker) with being the parent of three children of school age but who were not attending school. Defendant pleaded not guilty. Defendant said the children were now at school in Taumarunui, where they had been for seven weeks.

Mr Hooker stated that the children left the Pohokura school about the third week in June.

Defendant said they had been off the register for about two months. He said he could not send them back to the school. The S.M. said it would have been better to allow the children to stay at school until arrangements were made to transfer them. Defendant said he could not see his way to allow them to remain at the school, where the were subjected to much annoyance and insulting remarks.

: The S.M 1 . .suggested that defendant should have made a complaint about the teacher, who might then have been removed. Defendant said he had applied to the Education Board for an inquiry, but though ho waited ; considerable time he had received no reply from the Education Board. The sending of the children to Taumarunui was .delayed by sickness in the family. Both the defendant and the Inspector made reference to the Inspector’s statement at last sitting ,of the Court that defendant’s complaint had been investigated by the Education Board. Defendant alleged that no inquiry had been held and the Inspector retorted that he held sufficient documentary proof to the contrary. The S.M., however, declined to go further into the matter. A fine of os, with costs <s, was imposed in each case. The S.M. advised defendant, if he had a grievance, to have it out at once with the Board and not to nurse it for years; ■