Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1934. SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 155, 13 April 1934, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1934. SCHOOL COMMITTEES.

The fact that there is, generally speaking, no controversial 'matter to be considered at the annual meetings of householders next Monday evening should not be made an excuse for absence on part of, those who are qualified to take part in the local control of educational affairs. In recent years there has been a lamentable falling away in the matter of attendances at these meetings, a position that, it must be admitted, is not confined to the Ashburton County. Year by year there are sparse attendances throughout the Dominion. Even if the attendances were confined to parents, the meetings would be far larger than any recorded, but there are many others who should retain an interest, those whose children have passed the school age and past scholars who have now reached years of maturity. With the assistance of the householders committees would be. able to raise a far greater voice. The welfare of the pupils is not a duty devolving on school staffs and committees only. Some might possibly assume that a meagre attendance of householders, and little or no opposition at the election, betokened a general satisfaction with the work of the committee. In the opinion of a North Island committee, expressed last year, the smallness of the attendances denotes apathy. This apathy is not an indifference as to the conduct of the 'school — there is considerable interest,' active and virile, when things go wrong —but a selfish disposition to let someone else take thought and do the work. So far as the Ashburton Borough School is concerned the that there have been only six nominations for nine seats may be attributed to the fact that the activities of the outgoing committee have met with the approval of the householders, but it does not make for the good of the school, so far as its destiny is shaped by the attitude of the parents, who ought to assist the committee by intelligent interest and helpful criticism and attendance at the annual meetings. Comment on similar lines may also be made in respect to cases where the sitting committee is re-elected without contest where, consequently, the householders feel no disposition to attend the meeting. Complaint has been made from time to time about the progressive curtailing of the powers and functions or school 'committees. If this tendency is to be checked, it will best be achieved by the manifestation o a revival of active interest on the part of the community generally.