A GOOD ASSOCIATION.

Northern Advocate, 24 June 1921, Page 2

A GOOD ASSOCIATION.

If the Whangarei Parents and Toa&hers' Association realists the good wishes that were expressed for its welfo.ro at the gathering held lr.st night it will become an exceedingly ir-aaful institution. It should certainly he worth while vo bring the parents and the teachers into closer touch than thcy genemlly achieve, for the simple Tcahon that there may be co-ordination in the divided duty of bringing up the children, each party bcin'g assisted by knowing what the other is doing. Children should not bo thrown on their teachers' hands for part of the day by parents who neither know the teachers nor care what, they are doing: the parents should be willing to discus* their children with the teachers and help the teachers to make the of them. The Association will justify iiwolf if it promotes n spirit of co-operation, and once it has indmed (he parents to take a really active interest in the school it will become a ■> cry upof a\ adjunct to the committee eleded by the householders. Judging f-'om the remarks made last nigh: by Mr Power, who certainly is to be congraiulated on his frankness, the peopVs of Whaugarei in the past have not been assiduous in their attention to the interests of their school. Mr Power's opinion of the main building, "or instance, is anything but eoniplinteniary. Yi't the peoplo have tolerated it for a long time. So far as .<diool buildings are concerned the residents of the district nre to a largo extent cioponrlciit upon distant authorities, who nre always hard to move. But the harder they are the more necessary it i-< that the people flhould not spare thc-ir efforts. The School Committee has made vali-

~i yac-TufA: \z tno .cdncatics ioard to provide better acccraamodn linn that available- ni ihr FrtVbj-torintt if.il, -vviiirii vv.v. r'lif- ■u.lrjr-ri ni murh ~!,!.,,. i.l !:. 1 ui:.iit 'I'i"" ii-'l f.l ill!,i.il.liii", i- ;i rfiudal : tut I ■> lo in' I-liliic.-.i inn lh'ji:irt rjiont-_, VOt tllC fill linritio- will iiiit inovn. OlivJon-ly if ho can m:iko no ■niprc-.-ion in tli,'in it>- i'R'orl> should l>c roinfnrp••l, rii-t'l it is for Ilio wliolo of ilio. 7-00-,1,. jo o-ivi- Ihc c-nminiiKM' fhfir snpjinrr in such :i nmHor. Tlifit thoy linvo not [10110 so is due, no' donbt, 'o the hick >f nn capn.blo of expressing their viosrs. Tlioy en 11 now r-all thr- raivnt.s nii.l Tonchors' Assoointion In tlu-ii , :iid, and they should sit. oiH'O ni:iko use of it :i.- an aftnnt in securius l,ottvr conditions for the children. The hofidnia-.ter and stafi , of the school evidently are anxious for the help of tlio parents. Tt should be given readily. The people of Whangnrei should make :i united effort, to secure adequate re--.ncd.ies for Ihe difliculties by which their school i= handicapped.