TOO MANY HOLIDAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 47, 24 February 1923, Page 6

TOO MANY HOLIDAYS.

COMPLAINT IN CHRISTCBQtCE NUMBER TO BE RESTRICTED. (By Telegrapi.. -Special to "Star.") . CHRISTCHURCH, this day. A return presented to the Cant«rburr Education Board to-day showing the number of times and half-days that schools under the Board's jurisdiction were open during 1922 gave rise to a discussion on the need for limting the rights of head teacher.* and school committees to close their schools on days not authorised by the Board. The return was confidential but the discusion was taken in open Board. Mr. Thompson said he had asked for the return because he had had an opinion there were too many holidays in schools, and that it was a cause of the backwardness of a number of children. He moved that the matter receive careful consideration of the Appointments Committee, which was to be asked to draw up a schedule of holidays to be sent to committees, such holidays not to be departed from. Mr. Andrews, who seconded tie motion, drew attention to a tendencyon the part of a number of teachers to close their schools whenever there was* shower of rain. Mr. Banks said the return discloeed - that a number of schools had had five weeks' more holidays than they were entitled to. It was a serious matter and was acting as a handicap to education in Canterbury. Mr. Wild mentioned as worthy of note that there were only sixteen schools in the whole of Canterbury that had been open the full regulation time. The motion was carried. It was decided that a list of holidays be drawn a up by the committee and sent to school committees, associations, and to all ichoo l committees.