SCHOOL VACATIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 119, 16 April 1930, Page 2

SCHOOL VACATIONS

SUGGESTED CHANGE. FAVOURED BY RUSSELL STREET.

Tho February (school vacation as suggested by Sir Thomas Sidey was discussed at the meeting of householders at Russell Street on Monday evening, when it was decided to support the innovation. . , Mr G. L. Homan asked how “iicn time -would be allotted to the Christmas and New Year festivities. Mr F. C. Campbell (headmaster) stated that the important part.was that the pupils would bo out of doors the very time they should be in—the hottest month of the year and during the winter they would not be in attendance from June 12 to June 29, thus cutting out an appreciable part ot a very wet and cold month. Mr Uampbell thought that the Christmas and New Year periods could be arranged. “I very heartily support the proposal, added Mr Campbell. - Air Vasey stated that from the health point of view it was worth giving a trial. He moved that the meeting support the innovation and that it be a recommendation to the Combined Committees’ Association to have the matter brought before the members of Parliament for the district. OPPOSED AT HOKOWHITU. Air Pattle, chairmm, in addressing the householders at Hokowhitu explained Sir Thomas Sidey’s proposal in regard to the alteration of the mam school holidays and expressed his desire to hear the views of the meeting on the subject. Personally, Air Pattle, said he favoured the alteration, and would like to see a letter go forward expressing the meeting’s attitude. Mr F. O. Amos agreed that the proposal should be favoured on the grounds that our Christmas weather was not very pleasant —.the summer being experienced in February and March. A general discussion took place on the matter but a resolution supporting the alteration was lost on a show ot hands, 19 being in favour and against. LONGBURN’S OPINION.

The proposal came up for discussion at Longburn when the headmaster, Mr C. C. Hills, stated that he, personally, was not favourable to the scheme on . the grounds that: ' (a) The children’s holidays, as amended, would not coincide with the adult holiday period, i.e., Christmas and !Nbw \cflr, (b) The period from Christmas Eve to January 22nd would be so broken as to be useless for teaching purposes. (c) January was the busy season tor the farming community. (d) The proposed change would make ' a slight addition to the school holidays and this addition could well be added to the August holidays when the child s vitality was at a low ebb. (e) The second term holidays should be at least as long as the High School holidays, viz., three weeks. A general discussion ensued, Mr F. Aleehan moving, seconded by Air A. Oliver, that the Longburn householders strongly object to the introduction of the proposal. This was carried.