The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1892.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3099, 26 May 1892, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1892.

Equal ami exact justice to all men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. |

* From a great many quarters we hear complaints respecting the irregular attendance of children at the small country schools; in some cases the average attendance not amounting to much more than half the number that are upon the roll. This is a matter deserving of serious consideration, and perhaps more than any other is one winch may bo viewed from a national standpoint. The present system of public education, admirable as it undoubtedly is in many respects — particularly so in tho oducational facilities which it affords to the children of country schools, who otherwise would almost of necessity grow up wild and ignorant— still is not by any means remarkable for economy. In fact rather the reverse, and a very considerable number of taxpayers regard the regular annual appropriations drawn from the consolidated revenue for the purpose of education as altogether out of proportion to the population and present circumstancss of the colony. Be this as it may, there can be no quostien that if, in the interests of the rising generation, it becomes necessary to expend a large _ amount annually upon their education, it is equally essential that the full value of the expenditure shall be obtained, in the shape of a regular attendance of all children of the school age at the varioue public schools. Unless this is insisted upon, much of the benefit supposed to be derived by the State from such a system is undoubtedly lost. It may appear at first sight that a sufficient remedy is at hand, in the shape of the compulsory clauses of the Act, but as the bringing of these into operation is left in the hands of the school committee, the membors of which bodies as often as not being the parents of the worst delinquents, their completely inoperative nature is at once obvious. It is not customary to ask the offender to inflict the fine, yet this is practically what this portion of the Education Act requires. Turning to the effect which a poor or irregular attendance has upon the teaching staff, we may say at once that it is discouraging to the last degree. Not only are the salaries— paid according to the strict average attendance —immediately reduced, but what many teachers regard even more keenly, the chances of the school making a good record at the annual examination are materially lessened. In the end many a good teacher throws up the sponge in disgust, necessitating a change of teacher—another drawback to the advancement of the school, oven in the case of thoso who do attend. We have drawn attention to this evil in the hope that those who have tue present educational system at heart will take some steps to have it removed. One of the first of these we believe will be in the direction of having the enforcing of the compulsory clauses taken out or the hands of the school committees.