SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 2763, 4 July 1894, Page 2

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

The School Attendance Bill introduced by tbe Minister of Education is somewhat drastio in its provisions, and if enforoed sbonM put an end to the evils now complained of. Every child between the age of seven years and the age of thirteen years is required to attend some publio school at least six times a week, morning attendances and afternoon attendances being separately counted. The exceptions, however, are fairly wide-reaching, for a certificate may be obtained it tbe child is (1) under efficient instruction otherwise than at tbe publio school; {2) If it is

or other unavoidable cause; (3) if tbe ro&d between the child's resideuce and the school is more than two miles distant or is not sufficiently passable; (4) if an inspector or the headmaster of a sohool has certified that tbe obild has passed the standard of education prescribed by the regulations. If none of these exceptions are available then the procedure is decidedly summary. Notice having been given to a parent or guardian and ignored or not complied with the board upon whom the initiative is now oaet, instead of on tbe committee, may summon the parent or guardian before the Magistrate's Court, and an order may be made. If the order to send the child to sobool is neglected, then tbe parent beoomes liable to a penalty of two shillings for every week in which such child shall bave attended less than six times. The Act is applicable also to native sobools, making attendance thereat compulsory* Shortly put, the bill means that half time attendance must be made every week, and it is the " every week " that is the crux of the whole thing, and likely to work hardly. It would, we presume, subject to prosecution a parent who in the busy season of the year, say harvest time, or any other time when there was a press of work, kept his obildren at home to assist him. We cannot suppose thit it is intended that tbe Act shonld be so used, and it is very oertain that publio opinion would not support such a law, but it would appear to be necessary to provide against an inoonsiderate truant officer so applying it. As regards tbe obildren who are habitually absent from school, and running tbe streets in idleness uncontrolled by their parents or guardians, and growing np ignorant and vioions, no provision can be made too stringent to deal with them and tbe persons reßponsiole for them ; but tbe law must be carefully worded to secure that it does noc besome oppressive.