SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 136099, 25 April 1908, Page 8

SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

The annual election of school committees which takes place all over New Zealand on Monday night is an event of great importance in. our social Kfe and local government. There are considerably more than 2000 primary schools in the Dominion,'and at a low average we may assume that the aggregate committees number something like 14,000 persone, to whom are entrusted no trivial responsibilities. They have in their hande the detailed management of the , affairs of the schools, on which no inconsiderable degree of their soocese may depend, and to a large extent tho choice of the teachers, upon, whom co much more depends. One sometimes hears tbe office of member of a school committee spoken of lightly, but in reality it ie one of great responsibility, and considering the interests involved in the proper education of the children, it might well be held in honour. We hope that the meetings of householders will be well attended. Nothing is more calculated to make a committee slack in carrying out its duties than the feeling that those whom it represents are apathetic or indifferent • on the other hand nothing is more likely to stimulate the members to give of their best than the knowledge that their election was a matter of keen interest to the parents of the children attending tho Bcrool. We are glad in this connection to notice an appeal in this issue, urging women to attend the meetings and expressing tho desire that they, as well as men, should be elected to the connnrWoes. We hope that in both respects the appeal will be acted upon. Mothers are as deeply interested as fathers in the education of their children, and there are many matters that come within a School Committee's duties that women are quite as competent to deal with ac men, and in w&ich it would be well if they had a voice. We trust, therefore, that women will attend Monday's meetings, sod that they will secure a fair proportion of seats on the new committees then elected.