SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 115, 17 May 1930, Page 15

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

A PROPOSED SCHEDULE

■ Support for Sir Thomas Sidey's suggestion that the alteration'of the,dates of the summer school vacation be considered was given by the New Zealand Technical School Teachers' Conference. : In connection with" the proposal, a scheme was put forward by a teacher as follows:1 — ' ' . "T,he first condition will be, of course, a fixed Easter," ho wrote. "I am assuming, that such a thing is possible. The proposed alteration will be difficult if Easter falls in April. The •following dates are suggested, for 1930----31: —First term: 10th November-30th January, 12 weeks. 'Christmas holidays: 24th Deccnitjer-ith January (inclusive). Long vacation tiU 30th March, eight weeks. Second term: 30th March-3rd July, 14 weeks. Anzac Day, 25th-April; vacation of two weeks. Third term: 20th July-23rd October, 14 weeks; vacation of two weeks. Public examinations would be held in October. Evening school sessions: 13th April-3rd July (12 weeks); 20th July-23rd October (14 weeks); 9th November-18th December (6 weeks). University sessions: 13th April-3rd July (12 weeks); 27th July-23rd October (13 weeks). Degree examinations, December."' -•' A remit was on the order paper from Dunedin to the* following effect: "That the New Zealand Technical School Teachers' Association, support Sir Thomas Sidey's suggestion that the question of altering the dates of the summer vacation^je considered." Mr. H. A. Jones (Auckland) pointed out that it was very difficult to teach in February, and in some cases the schools had been closed in-that month owing to the difficulty of the children concentrating on their work in the very hot weather. The climate of New Zealand varied considerably in different districts. In supporting the remit, Miss M. B. Kobertsori (Christehureh) remarked that the • proposal was meeting with something like the same opposition as' the first Daylight Saving^Bill, and it seemed that fys** -mere some very conservative members in the conference. Miss Robertson referred particularly to the beneficial effect the change of dates would have on the health of the children, who would be able to take their holidays in the better weather. She said she favoured the change from '• start to finish. Opposition to the change was voiced on the ground that matriculation students would bo greatly handicapped as their examinations would have to take place before the Christmas break. It was considered by some that the suggestion made by Sir Thomas Sidey had been brought forward as the result of one or two exceptional seasons. There was no reason to expect that the weather would be consistently fine in the same month or months every year. The change, too, would interfere with boys who devoted their holiday time to shearing or harvesting, which was often; an important matter for them. ..Upon a vote being1 taken, the remit iwas carried by 26 votes to 23.