Home Most Important

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32313, 3 June 1970, Page 3

Home Most Important

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 2. “By the time a girl reaches Borstal it is

sometimes too late for effective remedial action to be taken,” the superintendent of Arohata (Miss F. Howland) told the New Zealand Federation of Business and Professional Women’s clubs national seminar on youth. Humanly speaking, it was almost impossible to make up for the loss of parental love and home security denied in early life and to remove the scars caused by so many sordid experiences of a girl’s early years, she said. Delinquency and crime were a social problem and the factors contributing to it were psychological, for example family relationships; social, education and right use of leisure; and environment, housing or locality. Vital Years Miss Howland said she firmly believed the family was the most important influence on the life and future of the

child—the importance of a stable family environment and warm human relationships could not be over-emphasised. The early years of a child’s life were of vital importance. Within the school frame-

work it was not sufficient to equip a child to become efficient in skills for the technological age: they needed to be taught not only what so ciety offered them, but what they in turn must give society. A progressive slide downhill in some cases began from the cradle, leading to absenteeism and expulsion from school, and erratic or almost nonexistent work pattern; and abandonment of selfesteem, leading to promiscuous living and, in some cases, pregnancy.

Human Dignity

These young people were in many cases injured and hurt The enlightened policy of the Justice Department laid empbaisis on rehabilitation of the sentenced person, Miss Howland said. Staff were constantly reminded of the dignity of the human being and the human rights of everyone who come into an institution.

Endeavours were made so that girls who came should be helped to become worthwhile people and good citizens.

“Given the foundation of a good home, with wise and loving parents, who supply by example rather than precepts the standards of true living, supplemented by a comprehensive school curricula embracing all aspects of social living, our young people should be well equipped to withstand the pressures of modern society.” Given this, they would not be found among the comparatively small number of adolescents in trouble with the law and inmates of a penal institution, Miss Howland said.

Labour Party Officers.—Officers elected at the annual meeting of the Lyttelton branch of the New Zealand Labour Party were:—President, Mr P. Swann; vice-presi-dent, Mr W. S. Tredinnick; secretary-treasurer, Mr F. Dempsey; assistant secretary, Mrs E. McAlister; committee, Mrs V. Paulsen, Messrs G. C. Adams, A. McKenzie, D. A. Jones, A. J. Beckett, J. L. Baines; social committee, Mesdames R. Austin, E. Berry, K. Dempsey, E. McAlister, V. Paulsen, O. Stevenson, B. Radcliffe, Messrs N. McLaren, E. Paulsen; delegates to interbranch council, Messrs W. B. Laing, N. McLaren, W. S. Tredinnick; trustees, Messrs N. McLaren, E. Paulsen; auditor, Mr S. Miller.