School Attendance.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 8, 30 April 1898, Page 3

School Attendance.

Ve. wrote some days ago commenting m the supine attitude displayed by nanv parents in Te Afpha towards die regular attendance, of their children at the local school-house, and were glad to note that our arguments had aot escaped observation - In a question of this sort repetition may not ilways be in vain It seems that this remission on the part of those who night to know better ie by no means Confined to Te following ants the case with great clearness : I'he failure of some Waiotahi residents ;o. send their children to their own ocal school has long been a sore point vith the School Committee, winch has uade several unsuccessful efforts to •ouse parents out of their indifference, nie subject was again brought up at he meeting of the newly-elected Comm'ttee. It was stated, that the police lad been applied to by the Committee o provide a truant officer,, and had Wused to undertake the work. The 36arcl of Education has likewise re used! to assist towards the cost of in gaging such an official, although an ,&« was forthcoming from Mr Win. !mi f h to. undertake Truant Officer’s uf’ieß for all the. Thames schools at >SO per annum. The result of these ailures is that atthe Waitotahi things emaim in - much the same 'condition, nd no. member of the Committee, ven though' aware' of the offenders, cels equal to appearing in Court for ear that his motives should -be misnderstood. The fact remains that bis ovil must be coped with, even hough it should .be through the aadium of the Magistrate. This aspect f the case was stated very clearly by Ir Christie, a new member of the Joinmitteej'who thought that members bould not be backward in doing their ; u ty, however unpleasant: it may be. £ lias been pointed out time after time o the persons interested that a full ttcndance means better instruction; bat while the present average number 1‘ 84 involves only two teachers, au iverage of 91 would mean three ; and hat the: obvious duty*,-of ail the >a rents is to swell the attendance or/.* the benefit of, the /child©O'- as a whole. .- v All this has >een pointed - out, But the school is .till staffed with only two teachers, and (he only remedy for parental indiff evince seems- to be compulsion. Mr Christie suggested that the school o aster be asked to forward a list of :bsent'‘es moufchly. No definite action vas taken, by the Committee, lbut it vas agreed that no effort shou d be pared to bring the attendance up to ho standard: • »