SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2436, 21 February 1888, Page 2

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

TO TUB KniTOR. Sill, —As ninny hard remarks have been made on the aci ion of the Hamilton Fast. School Committee, for refusing a holiday to the children on last Tuesday, to enable them to attend the Anglican and Presbyterian picnios. it is only right to consider how the blame in the matter should be apportioned. As a public and Sunday School teacher of some standing, 1 am presumably free from prejudice in tho matter, and attempt the task, with your permission. Tho Church authorities bad the whole of January to arwith school duties, but they _ preferred range these picnics, without interfering to defer them till children have returned to school for less than a fortnight and are only just getting into harness again They also choose a Tuesday, which will upset the children again for another week, instead of a Friday when the mischief would have been pretty well counteracted by Monday. On the other hand tho School Committee made a mistake. Laws which cannot bo enforced are an inducement to breaking laws which can, even in the case of civilised and developed man. Ln the case of the undeveloped and uncivilised man called the child or, with true British indiscriminating intolerance, " the nation " it. tends to a confusion of all rule, regularity, order or discipline. Still the committee acted in accordance with, the constantly reiterated complaints of parents that, if the regular holidays were not too long, at any rate isolated holidays were a mistake. And here parents are backed up by teachers. Whatever opinion may be held of the length of the Christmas holidays, both are agreed _ that the sooner one day holidays are abolished tho better for both teacher and child, for they mean a far greater interruption of school work than any Christmas vacation, however, long without the corresponding advantage of recuperation on the part of teacher and taught of the physical and moral stamina impaired by several month's mental strain. —Your respectfully. (Juris.