SHIVERING CHILDREN.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1919, Page 6

SHIVERING CHILDREN.

TEACHERS INDIGNANT OVER GOVERNMENT POLICY.

Chris tchnrch, June 0.

At a meeting of the Canterbury Women Teachers' Association to-night, a very strong protest was made against the lack of adequate heating in the schools of the city. The following resolutions were carried: "That this meeting of women teachers condemns strongly the condition of things with regard to school heating this winter, and considers it is the result of mismanagement, since other Government Departments, and even railway waiting rooms, are more comfortably provided for than the children of our Government schools. This meeting commends the action of those teachers who closed school recently on account of the low temperature and im■jwssibility of their improving things', and is of the opinion that where schoolrooms do not register a temperature of 55 degrees at 9 a.m., with the probability of rising to 60 degrees by 10 a.m., tlie school should he closed in the interest of the health of the children. A definite rule of this kind, if strictly carried out, would probably bring to light means Of procuring adequate supplies." In speaking to the motion, several teJWlierß referred in indignanf terms to the existing state of affairs, and the following incidents were cited: — One school was closed for a day during the past week as a protest against teaching the diildren, who were shivering in an atmosphere which registered only 42 degrees of warmth. One teacher could not bear to witness 'her pupils working under such conditions, ■so she weat out and bought a bucket of coal.

One coalhouse at a school was padlocked, and the woman teacher in charge Iliad to pick the lock so that necessary jcoal could be obtained. Anotlier school, reported the burning ■ ®f*