WOMEN'S AIM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 145, 20 June 1940, Page 14

WOMEN'S AIM.

SCHOOL LEAVING AGE. RAISED TO FIFTEEN YEARS. The Canterbury branch of the National Council of Women is to take steps to have the school leaving age j raised ,to fifteeii. years. The object is ito be promoted first" through the j National Council. This was decided on at a recent meeting. A report prepared for the meeting, stated that at present children could leave school on attaining- fourteen years, but on securing a primary school leaving certificate they could leave irrespective of age. and some took advantage <>f this t<i start work at twelve years. It was further reported that children could not enter factory employment without a permit from* the Labour Department, but they could enter work not controlled by the Factories Act without a permit. The report stated that cases were known of boys and girls of twelve years of age entering work each year. The raising of the age to fifteen years would not affect the more backward children, who in the majority of east-s already stayed on at school beyond fourteen years, but it would have* the effect of keeping at school those children who had progressed through primary school faster than the average and who were the ones who would do most brilliantly in further education at post-primary schools. _ Children of fourteen years were too immature in every way to enter ordinary employment.