FREE TEXT BOOKS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 97, 5 February 1936, Page 6

FREE TEXT BOOKS

PUPILS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. CHILDREN OF POOR PARENTS. THE SYSTEM RE-INTRODUCED. Tlie system of providing free textbooks for pupils at secondary schools, district high schools and full-time day pupils at technical high schools whose parents or guardians are not in a position to provide books has been reintroduced by the Education Department, according to advice received today by the Ashburton High School and Ashburton Technical High School from the Acting-Director of Education (Mr W. S. La Trobe). Applications by those who desire to take advantage of this should be made to the principals of schools, and the cases will be referred to Education Boards, and investigation made. The system was discontinued- a few years ago as an economy measure. While headmasters of Ashburton secondary schools welcomed the reintroduction of this system of enabling children of poor parents to receive secondary education, ’’ey expressed disappointment that advice concerning it had not arrived before schools ' had commenced for the year. “It should have come earlier,” said the headmaster of the Ashburton High School (Mr E. A. Cockroft), who added it was possible that the providing of free text books for those who needed them might yet assist in increasing the roll number at the school. “We have our own system of helping pupils here,” ho said, “but this may help us a bitmore.” He stated that when the system was in force previously about five children at the High School had taken advantage of it. “It- might be helpful yet,” said the principal of the Ashburton Technical High School (Mr It. ,J. Thompson). “I heard last night that in Allenton there were eight or nine children not going to either secondary school, and it is quite possible that the trouble was the cost of books. It is quite likely that some of the parents may feel justified in giving children an opportunity of secondary education now that the system has been re-introduced.