UNTIDY SCHOOLCHILDREN

New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 315, 6 July 1945, Page 5

UNTIDY SCHOOLCHILDREN

Sir-In reply to "1898 Class, ee would like to say that it is partly the fault of this "Class" that children aré

so untidy. Admittedly these young people do make a litter, but it is because they have gteater appetites than the normal adult. Even so, if you put 200 adults in a hall they will make nearly as mitch mess as the young children. If elderly people cease throwing ice cream cartons, papers, etc., about, I feel sure it will stop among the younger generation. Also, about putting their feet on the séats of trains. Has no one seen elderly people do this? Young people adopt the attitude, "If it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for me."

VASAL

(Wellington).

Sir-To the letter of "1898 Class" complaining of the untidiness of schoolchildren, there is perhaps one comment: "and what about the untidiness of adults?" Surely it is idle to complain of the boys and girls, who may or may not know better, when their parents, who do know better, are just as bad. Has "1898 Class" ever seen the inside of a picture theatre after a Saturday evening performance when at least 90 per cent of the spectators are adults? If he would compare this with the same theatre after a matinee he would find surprisingly little difference in, the amount of litter. Then "1898 Class" mentions train seats. Children are not the only offenders. I have oftém seen men, and women too, deliberately place their feet on the

seat opposite, hastily remove them when the guard passes, and then replace them. One must be fair to the ‘children. People are apt to pick holes in their conduct and to comment 6n their faults rather than on the people from whom they have learnt those faults, What is the use of drilling lessons of tidiness into a child when continually he sees so many examples to the contrary among his elders? © By all means try to teach civic pride and common courtesy, but why start and finish with the children?

COMMON SENSE

(Hutt),