SATURDAY SCHOOL

Grey River Argus, 16 May 1946, Page 4

SATURDAY SCHOOL

FOR ISOLATED AREAS To Give Shopping Holiday EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SUGGESTION. 1 P.A. NEW PLYMOUTH, May 15. The closing of schools in isolated country areas for one day or a half day; each month to allow the parents, teachers: and children to visit a shopping centre, with a provision for making up time lost on Saturdays, was suggested in a letter received by the Taranaki Education Board from the Department of Education. The Department suggested Friday or Monday as the most suitable day for interrupting the classes. . “The Department realises that a very real problem exists' for parents, children and teachers in isolated country districts to do their shopping, and has carefully considered suggestions to meet the situation,” stated the letter. “In the interests of lhe pupils, the Education Department is opposed to any proposal to extend the school working day on four days of any week in order that the Friday afternoon may be reserved for a shopping period. It Considers that a Saturday period of school work should be substituted for the period in which such schools are closed. To do this, however, raises legal difficulties, for teachers cannot be compelled to carry: out school duties on Saturdays. Nor, as far as is known, can parents be compelled to send their children to School on Saturdays'. The Department, therefore, on condition that unanimity is reached by all concerned, is willing to sanction the following proposal, as an experiment, for the second term of this year: That, once a month, the schools be closed for either half or the whole school day on a stated Friday or Monday, provided that they open for a corresponding period on the Saturday.” The Board decided that copies of the letter should be forwarded to School Committees' for their comments. Consolidation of Schools DISSATISFACTION WITH ADMINISTRATION. P.A. WELLINGTON, May 15. The New Zealand Council for Educational Research. is to be asked by the Educational Institute to make an exhaustive’ investigation into the consolidation of schools. Moving a Waipa remit to this effect at the annual meeting of the Institute in Wellington to-day, Mr. G. D. Warring said there was no fault to find with the principle of consolidation, but there was definite evidence to show that there was widespread dissatisfaction with the administration.