SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 15, 17 January 1914, Page 9

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

CERTIFICATES UNDESIRABLE. i '.By Teler.rapn.—Press Association.! | FETLDISG. this day. A strange communication was received at last night's meeting of the Wanganui Education Board from the Education Department in reply to a letter from the Board. It appears that recently the Board asked the Depart- I ment to issue specia.l attendance eerti S ncates for pupils who bad earned five j first or second class attendance certi-rica-tes. -provided by the Department. Replying to this the Inspector-General wrote that it was not considered advisable that children and parents should be encouraged to strive after such a faultless attendance as. that represented by a first class certificate, much less a series of such certificates. During a child's school career it was possible that in many cases it would be better for the child to stay at home. Copies of the correspondence were, forwarded by the Board to the Minister of Education, and Mr. Allen was asked if the Inspector-General's remarks had his approval. On December 20 the Secretary for Education wrote to the Board stating that the. Minister approved of Mr. Hoghcn's letter. The chairman of the Board remarked that the attitude of the "Minister and tbe Department was very strange, in the face of legislation passed at the instance of tbe Department, making attendance every day compulsory in primary schools.