Irregular Attendance at School.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7839, 3 June 1905, Page 2

Irregular Attendance at School.

ALLEGED CARELESS KEEPING 01' 'ROLLS. ' At the Magistrate's Court on Fri» [<lay tho niljournod ease in whiui William Corbc-U, of Okato, was pro- ' eroded ..tf.iinst for failing to send, h'.s two children lo school the re< . uuired number of <liays was continued., | Mr T. S. Weston, who appeared for (he defendant, raised an objection to lh' information oil th« ground that it was laid under the School Attendance Act of I BB *' whereas the Act had teen repealed He argued, consequently, that no offence had been disclosed. The Mag.strale thought th.'t the provisions alleged to have been infringed were perpetuated in the Education Act of Mr WeAon contended that the Act contained provisions of its own, and! that the Magistrate had no power to an:or,d the information. Mr Hooker, truant o(t:cr, applied

for the amendment of the information, anil contended that the Miigis[trate had, under the Justice of I'eaco Act, full power to do so. i After further argument the Magis-* tmto pointed out that he already had the plea of the defendant and some of the evider.ee had ji,t.*cn taken, the case having been adjourned in order to secure the attendance of tho head master, .owing, to an allegation l of irregularity in keeping the rolls. In the, circumstances he overruled Mr Weston's objection. Edward Jas. lloyco, head master, of three years' sbandjiigi al Okato, gave evidence that he marked the roll re-

gularly at, 9.30, and every-afternoon at 1 o'clock. According to instructions, scholars attending after 9.30 were marked in rod ink, but those arriving after 10 o'clock were not credited wi'th attendance. In the case of defendant's daughter, Muriel, she absented herself two whole days in one week, but in the case of Edward Corjiett witness could not swejiin positively that the.four absences recorded against him represented full time or only axflessca over the halfhour's allowance. In the case of both childrtn their late attendance caused' them to mles portion of the arithmetic Jefsyns. In reply to Klluestiions, witness) said tKati if it: was dilated] that he did not mark one day's attendance untiil the next day it was incorrect. Ub may bave called over the names of pupils, but not for thd purpose of filling in the roll. Only on one day, when he lost the run of the roll book, it being hidden amoJigl a number of other books, did he fail to fill in the roll properly, and then he took tho names down on a list and filled them in the next day as he had) found the roll in the meantime.

Muriel Corbet! (14), James McCalliim (14), nnd Connie Corhett (13), gave evidence that the roll was ca'Jl-i-d irreguluily. It would not ha called one day,, but on the following day the scholars would ! I>.' asked in jlhoy had attended on the pre\!ious day, nnd the roll woul'd be filled irt accordingly. Olive Humphries (14) and Stanley Humphries (13), who had only recently returned to the Okato school, saii they remen(berod one occasion, when the roll was not called. Slay Potts, teacher at the school, gave positive evidence that the roll was cailed regularly each morning and afternoon. There was only one day, as pxplainted, on which the roll was not marked, and then the names were taken down on a list. If the names were ever called over it won certaimljy not' for the purpose jo£ marking the previous day's rolt. W. E. Spencer, chief inspector, to the Taranaki Education Hoard, gave evidence that on his surprise visits he liad always found the rolls cmxh fully kept. So far as ho could judgq from their appearance the rolls wero kepi, with regularity. The Magistrate said he would'give his opinion in writing the following! morning, but mentioned that iti would be against the defendant. Judgment was also reserved in the case of Archibald, summoned for failing to send, one child to school.