BURDEN ON SCHOOL CHILDREN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 7 April 1922, Page 6

BURDEN ON SCHOOL CHILDREN

(To the Editor) Sir, —It is rumoured that the governing bodies and teachers at our colleges are conferring together with c view to lightening the burden imposed on our children. There are few parents who will not welcome the at tempt and wish them success. The most of us feel that life is far toe strenuous for them, and! too much ol a'-rush, and that the hours of brain effort are too long. Teachers naturally like their school results at examinations to be good, and, unfortunately, a school is judged lagely in this way, but sensible parents would rather set their children growing up strong and hearty. None of the schools allow enough time for meals, and the Colleges are worse in this respect than the Government schools. The- result is ' that many of the children have a rush dinner and rush back to brain work. It is not much wonder that teachers say that one hour in the morning is worth two in the afternoon. Then, again, a good many take sandwiches, and their parents do what they can to make up at teatime, and this also is a very bad arrangement. How can the children thrive under these conditions? To the uninitiated! parent it all seems so utterly unnecessary. I think we ought to have a parents’ association to meet periodically and discuss these and other matters, and to bring our views before school boards and teachers, to put our point of view and hear theirs. We know quite well! that the school authorities are as anxious as we are for the children's welfare, but we differ from them most emphatically as to what really is best. School boards and teachers are perhaps a little apt to forget that many people’s houses do not run like clockwork, that meals are not always ready to the moment, that many mothers require a certain amount of help from their girls, that mfany children take music*and practise, and this- all has to be fitted in. We must not forget, too, that all young things require a good deal of romping and play. Surely no right feeling person wishes to see our children turned into serious little men and women students, but that is the present tendency.—l am etc., PARENT.