PARENTS AND SCHOOLS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 105, 6 May 1927, Page 6

PARENTS AND SCHOOLS

Householders' meetings for tho election of school commitUes have not been so Well, attonded of lalo yearn as they Were formerly. In part this maybe attributable to tiie curtailment of e.oin-

mittce powors and in part to the absence of controversial issues. .13»( there is nnother factor which should

not lie overlooked,

Formerly u u .

nomination and election of the committees took place at the meetings. Now, in all the larger schools, nominations must bo mado beforehand. This oaves trouble and enables ballot papers to be prepared; but it seems to us that it nlmi robs tho meetings of their chief interest. • Tlie early nomination method niHHt necessarily apply to Parliamentary ami local elections, which aro preceded by campaigns in which tho candidates and the issues arc discussed. But it is different with the school committee!*. Most hoiwchol'dcrs have little opportunity of learning boforo tho mooting what the outgoing committee has done, or what it proposes to do. In many districts tho nominations nocessarity aro mado at tho instanco of tho outgoing moinbors.' The housoholdera at large do net know what is boing done. It may bo said that they should take tho trouolc to find out; but as the committee 's main function is to bo a link botween tho parents and tho school it is a pity to weaken this link liy a system' which removes a great incentive to attendance at meetings.