EFFICIENCY BOARD

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 4 July 1917, Page 5

EFFICIENCY BOARD

UTILISING JUVENILE LABOUR. WELLINGTON, this day. A letter from the chairman of the Rational Efficiency Board to the ■Technical School Board last nighr, stated a suggestion had been made that school holidays be shortened in the Spring and Autumn, and correspondingly lengthened at midsummer in order to enablesenior pupils to undertake work in the country at the shearing and harvesting seasons. The fetter stated it had been ascertained that the employment of senior girls was not approved by mistresses, and the suggestion relating to their employment in the country has therefore been dropped. Inquiries had shown there was no need to alter dates of University and other examinations, or interfere with holiday arrangements, as in the case of the older pupils they already had extended the midsummer holidays, while those in primary schools were hardly of age to be of any use in the country. In the case of country schools, the boys there were always well engaged in useful work. Replies to circulars, issued by the Efficiency Board having shown the scheme of utilising schoolboy labour feasible, it only remains to make the necessary arrangements. It was decided to supply the information to the Efficiency B'oard as to the numbers of boys under its control who were suitable for country work.