Magistrate’s Court.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43099, 1 June 1907, Page 2

Magistrate’s Court.

ABSENTEES FROM SCHOOL.

At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, | before Messrs Gavin and Mills, Justices, a number of parents were fined for allowing | their children to be away from sohool for more than the prescribed period. Mr Small, Truant Officer for the Education Board, prosecuted, and a plea of guilty was given in • each case. Mrs Gardiner, Te Aroha, was fined 6s aud costs 6s; Frank Lipsey, two charges,'second offence, find 15s and 22s costs ; C. W. Roberts, who put in a doctor’s certificate, was fined 6s and 6s costs ; Geo. Bygraye, 6s . and 5s costs ; Richard Nichol, two charges, | 8s and 22s costs ; Geo. Petry, 4s and lls costs; A. W. Edwards, 4s and 11s costs; Thos. B. Holt, Chairman of the Waioron- i gomai School Committee, two charges, was fiiu 143 and 22s costs; Charles Briudle, Gordon, two charges, fined 8s and 22s costs : Jas. Eoughey, Gordon, fined 2s and 18s 6d costs; Mrs Goodwin, Gordon, fined 2s and 18s 6d costs.

THE EDUCATION ACT.

Owing to the general misunderstanding with parents in regard to the Act, we quote from the Act from sections 141 to 145. COMPULSORY EDUCATION : EXEMPTIONS. 141 (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act every child between the age of seven years and the age of fourteen years is hereby required to attend some public school not less than four times in any week that the school is open six times, six times in any week that the school is open eight times, morning and afternoon attendances being separately counted.

(2) In the case of a half-time school, any child enrolled in the register of the school shall,be required to attend seven times out of any consecutive ten times the school is open. (3) A child shall be deemed to be attending a public school, and an attendance may be counted to him, if ho is present at the time prescribed by regulations for marking the register, and remains present until the clo sing of the school,, unless he is compelled to leave earlier in order to return home by railway or other public conveyance. (4) A child who has attended for four houvj i i any school day may, under special circumstances, be allowed by the heal teacher to leave before the close of the school.

(5) The provisions of this Act relating to the attendance of children at school shah apply to Maoris and half-caste children attending public schools. 142 (1) The parent of any child may apply for and r: reive from the school committee of the district in which such child resides, or from the chairman and one other member thereof, under the hand of the chairman or secretary, or from the head teacher of any public Bchool in such district, a certificate ememptiug suoh child from attendance in whole or in pait at school, upon satisfying the sohool committee or the chairman and one other member thereof, or the head teacher of any public school in such district, of the existence of any one of the following grounds, namely:—(a) That the total distance that the child would be required to walk from his place of residence to the school, or from his place of residence to the railway or other public conveyance to the school, is more than two miles in the case of a child under ten years of age, or three miles in any other case, the distance being estimated by the nearest road; (b) that the child is under efficient and regular instruction elsewhere ; (c) that the child is unable to attend school by reason of siokners, danger of infection, temporary or permanent infirmity, or other sufficient excuse ; (d) that the road by which the child has to travel to school is not sufficiently passable ; (e) that the child holds a certificate, as prescribed by regulations, that he has reachc l a standard of education prescribed by such regulations as the standard of exemption. (2) Every suoh certificate of exemption shaU state the ground of exemption and shall be in the prescribed form, and shall be in force for a period of one year, or for such shorter period as is named in the certificate. (3) During the period named in the certificate the holder thereof shall he freed from the operation of the provisions of this Act in respect of the child named therein. (4) Any parent who is dissatisfied with the decision of a committee in refusing to grant an exemption certificate may appeal, to the Education Board against such decision, and the Board (whose decision shall be final) may overrule Qr confirm such decision. (5) For the purposes of this section, — “ Efficient instruction ” means such instruction as is prescribe! by regulations ; “regular instruction ” meanß instruction attendance at which is as regular as that prescribed in subsection one of section one hundred and fortyone hereof. ~ 143 (1) If ten or more children re J%t in any school district are on the roll of any school other than a public school, the head tedcher of such school may apply for and receive from the chairman or secretary of the Board a general certificate of exemption for such children upon satisfying the Board that efficient and regular instruction is given at such sohool.

(2) Such general certificate of exemption, shall be in the prescribed form, and shall be in force for the period of one year, and shall have no force in respect of any child whose attendance at such school is not as regular as that prescribed in sub-section one of section one hundred and forty-one hereof. (3) The attendance register of such school Bhall be open at all times when the school is open to the Truant Officer or the secretary of the* Board.

(4) Every general certificate of exemption Bhall be made in duplicate, and it shall be the duty of the pesson applying for such certificate to forward one copy to the ohairman of the school committee of the district in which the children named therein reside.

144 (1) If any child required by this Act to attend a public school does not so attend, the Truant Officer or school committee of the district in which such child resides shall give the parent of such child notice in writing, in the form of the tenth schedule hereto, calling upon such parent to send such child to school.

(2) Such notice may be, given to the parent by delivering it to him personally, or .by leaving it for him at his house with any inmate thereof appearing t j be above the age of fourteen years, or by posting it by registered letter addressed to him-at his usual or last known place of al jde ' (3) Every parent who, after reaching suoh notice, fails to Bend ohild ttr school within seven days is linage to a penalty notexceeding two pounds aifiv not less than five shillings; and the payment of such penalty shall be no bar to further procec lings in case of further neglect. 145 (1) Where any child required Iby this Act to attend a public school hrs been enrolled in the register of a public school, and does not attend as provided in sub-section one of section one hundred and foity-one, the parent of such child shall be -liable to a penalty not exceeding tan shilling end not less than two shillings for every such week in which suoh child failed to attend school as required by this Act. (2) Where any child required by this Act to attend a public school has been enrolled in the register of a half-time school, and does not attend as provided in subsection two of section one hundred and forty - one, the parent of such child shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten shillings and not less than two shillings for every suoh occasion which suoh child is proved to have failed to attend school as required by this Act: Provided that proceedings under this section for the recovery of any penalty incurred by reason of insufficient attendance during any part of any month shall not be instituted except during that or the two months next following.