CONTINUATION CLASSES.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 November 1919, Page 6

CONTINUATION CLASSES.

MAGISTRATE REPRIMANDS ABSENTEES. BOYS WITH TOO MUCH MONEY. i Several paronts and guardians were charged in the Magistrate's Court at Plymouth yesterday, with breaches of the compulsory clause under the Education Act, in not sending their boys to the continuation night classes at the Nev Plymouth Technical College. Li one case in which the grandmother of the boy concerned was the person charged, the boy himself appeared, and the truant officer and a police constable both aliened that the boy was a very difficult child to deal with. He refused to go to school. The police eonstable said his grandmother could not control him, and-lie was about the streets at all hours of the night. She said if he would not go to School ho would have to take the consequences. In reply lb the Magistrate, the boy, who gave his age as 1G years,.said on i I one of the nights -he was .away from school he went to the' pictures, nna another time he just stayed in the town instead of going to classes. He said he was a plumber's apprentice and received 12s 6d a week. . He went some nights and assisted in a fish shop for which he received something sometimes. He gave all his wages to his grandmother, and had to get money from her when he wanted to go to the pictures. He admitted she did not expect he was going to the pictures on his class night. Another boy who came forward when his parents' name was called on a similar charge, pleaded that one of thenights he had not gone to school was Guy Fawkes night, and on another be had gone to the pictures. This l<:d earned 15s a. week, gave 10s to his mother who clothed him, and he had the other 5s to spend as he liked. He was ,14' years of age. The Magistrate sharply reprimanded the boys, and urged them to take Better advantage of the facilities affordel tlwm for improving their minds. M'\ Bailey also remarked that he was of opinion that nowadays boys had too easy a time, and also had too much money for themselves. When he commenced to earn money for himself he was older rhan either of the boys in these cases, had to work for much less, and pay most of his expenses. Fines were inflicted in both caws.