THE PRICE: TOURISM OR TRUANCY?

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 48, 18 June 1974, Page 1

THE PRICE: TOURISM OR TRUANCY?

BY PAT LIDDELL Taupo's teenagers are bored and some get involved in petty crime because the town has no source of entertainment for them, says the principal of Tauponui-a-Tia College, Mr F. N. Tritt. Community social workers believe that the problem goes much deeper than this. They say town administrators appear to be more concerned with the tourist trade and people outside Taupo than they do with the social probiems at home.

The lack of low income housing has been cited as one of the main contributing faetors to the in- - - creasing truancy probiems among college students. Too many families are v having to move too often and this does not create a stable environment for children. The principal of Taupo Intermediate School, Mr R. G. Williams, said he thought there weren't sufficient activities in Taupo to cater for all types of children. "We try to foster interest in all sorts of activities — sporting and cultural — while they are here, but it seems when the children go on to college these are lost," he said. Of the 30-strong staff at

the Intermediate School all but three are occupied in student activities during the lunch hour. "We think we are doing all we can to keep the children occupied." Truancy has existed at the school for some time, but the proportions of children staying away from school are much less than the college. "One of the 13-year-old girls mentioned in the paper the other day whose parents are to be prosecuted for her truancy was before the court earlier this year for similar offences committed when she was here," said Mr Williams. On that occasion the girl's parents were fined $4. It is understood that at

the monthly meeting of Taupo's primary school headmasters last week the possibility ,of stopping family benefit payments as an answer to the truancy problem was discussed. If a child played truant, payments would be stopped until he returned to school. The deputy principal of Taupo Intermediate School, Mr B. K. Carlton, said he thought the probiems stemmed from lack of parental control. "A youth centre is a good idea for those who want to use such a facility but those who are playing truant now won't go to something like that because they are the kind of people who don't want to enjoy anything," he said.

"Truants, in general, are usually girls — when they stay away it is to look after younger brothers and sisters while their parents are at work or doing the shopping." Mr Williams believes the high wages being offered youths in local industry are partially to blame for the problem. "These young fellows see their mates earning big money and buying cars they lose interest in school and want to be out working," he said. It is understood that plans are underway to establish a youth centre in Taupo, but the organisers were not available to comment pn the proposal. It is also understood that the Taupo police are not entirely agreeable to a centre being established. They believe that after a while it will be taken over by rougher elements in town — which has happened to so many youth centres throughout the country — and this would defeat the whole purpose of the centre. Community social workers said as far as they were concerned there was no instant solution to the growing problem. It was seated in deep social grievances — especially in the case of the Maori — and this could not be solved easily or without tolerance.