CORRESPONDENCE. The School Age.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4156, 6 July 1892, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

The School Age.

[to the editor.] Sir,—ln your issue of Juno SOtli I see you report that the Education Board do not regard the Act That is, when a legal point is put >o them as a question from those who are supposed to work on it (hey say it would be hard to carry it out. Even supposing so, why not give them a straightforward 'yes' or' no?' They were asked what power the Oommitteo bad in the matter of school age. The 83rd boction of the Act says ;- " No child above school age shall bo admitted at any public school without the special leave of the Committee unless such school be a district high school." Further, it gives us what school age is to mean. It means any age between the age of five and fifteen, Over sixtoen is not between those ages, Ido not quote this for yourediu'Cßtion, but for that of a few of your readers who do not know. Can you or any other reasonable peraon Bee why the Education Board should appoint or cause to- have appointed a Committee to act under them, givo them an Act passed by Parliament to be binding in every sliapo and form, and when the Committee acts according to the said Act or gives notice to the teacher at the school, the Board, when applied to for a deoision on the question, which is so plain, but must bo settled by them, simply say "It's hard." I should think it was harder to find capitation to pay for it. The straight my ol putting it is thus:-Three children belonging to working men left this school this year on account of their age. Two more are allowed to stay, both of whom can afford to pay for their higher education and give this school a better chance of

bringing on the lower standards. The school is small and the porch is used f daily as a class room, which in winter time is far from nice for the children, There is a great fuss now and again in voting for members for the Education Board, Committees vote for members to represent them and carry out the Act, and once that seat is occupied it is good-bye Committee. If the Board thinks the age (fifteen) too young to leave school, they should put it to the House of Parliament and get an amendment. If a young man leaves school, goes to work, and gets the sack, whatiß to stop bim at twenty going back 10 school 1 Authority in a former case is held here from the Hoard's Secretary distinctly staling that a scholar can Btay after fifteen but must first obtain the sanction of the local Committee If this is the case why have they not power to stop them attending without such leavo is obtained ? The more you think of it the plainer it gets. I should like other Committees to speak on the subject,

The latest farce hero is that the » ladies ate carrying round a petition to get the Committee put down ■ Th ey say the election was illegal as the Chairman refused to let the ladies vote at the election, The husband had the moleskins away with him, While on this subject I should like to clear the Committee of a charge laid to them. That is, the knowing ones always jump at the conclusion that the Committee are trying to get a teacher away from the school if they move in anything that is not juat as they wish. This Committeo wish to emphatically deny the gossip which has been going the rounds here daily since this little affair cropped up. The Committee are oDly working according to the Aot passed by law for their guidance. They think the teaching staff, scholars, and Committeemen equal to any under the Board. As the Taueru does not often furnish news, I hopo you will pleaso insert this, word for word.—l am, etc., Ralph Makninq, Secretary, <!s-l Lower Taueru School Committee.