CAVEAT EMPTOR

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33442, 25 January 1974, Page 28

CAVEAT EMPTOR

Civilisation as we think we know it could come to a muddled standstill were it not for the smattering of education each and all of us have somehow acquired. Just imagine if we all signed our name with an “X”, the fun the banking fraternity would have with our cheques; the confusion some young swain could suffer on receiving a brief note saying, “Darling, worried, must see vou, ever yours, ‘X’.”

However, getting back to education. To educate

our children we find it necessary to have schools staffed by teachers who find it necessary to take long holidays to recover from the ordeal. And today’s story is about a kindly teacher who gave her standard 1 class a break-up party on or about December 20 way back in good old 1973. It was to be a party on a grand scale — fish and chips, cakes, sweets, jellies etc., and lots of lemonade. As none of these items appeared on the Education Department’s free issue list, the teacher, after much biting of

pencil and scratching of scholastic skull, calculated that if each pupil contributed 28 cents, expenses would be covered to within an annoying cent or so.

And so it came to pass, the morning of this royal feast, and they all handed in their hot little contributions. And as one little boy. more advanced com-mercial-wise than most of his age, carefully counted out and regretfully paid over his 28 cents he plaintively asked, “If I get sick will I get my money back?”