Then and Now.

Franklin Times, Volume XXI, Issue 67, 10 June 1931, Page 6

Then and Now.

A resident of Milton, writing to the Otago Daily Times, asks: “Gan anyone inform me how many days’ holiday the school children receive in the year, Saturday afternoons included. Before the system of free education was introduced I went to the National School at a cost to my father of the great sum of one penny per week. All hooks were found except copy hook and slate pencil. One could buy a box of 12 dozen slate pencils for 4id. All told, the cost was less than 4s a year. Now that wo have free education many of the books cost more than that sum and come rather hard on many parents who have to buy books. I know we got less than half of what the scholars get nowadays. There were no home lessons, nor were there hooks to bring home as they did not belong to us. The girls were taught knitting, tatting and marking samplers.

My wife has one of her mother’s samplers of I Stirs. It is over 60 years since I was at school, and many who were taken to school at three years of age had to leave at the age of six or rigid lo go lo work.—I am, etc.”