REOPENING OF SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18994, 16 April 1925, Page 8

REOPENING OF SCHOOLS.

LONG HOLIDAY ENDED. EXCELLENT ATTENDANCES. AVERAGE OF 80 PER CENT, MANY ENTHUSIASTIC PUPILS. Tho primary and secondary schools in tho Auckland city area resumed yesterday after a vacation of over three months. Generally, children are averse to commencing school after holidays, but there was rejoicing in many young hearts yestorday. , Excellent attendances wero reported everywhere. In tho primary schools the upper classes had few vacant desks, but tho primer classes in some of the schools wero not so well attended. Some parents are evidently not willing to send young children to school yet. Ono reassuring feature in regard to infantile paralysis is that it has not attacked crowded areas any moro than country districts. At tho Normal School iu Wcllesley Street East the attendance was 94 per cent, in standard 6; 90 per cent, in standard 5; 76 per cent, in standard 4; and over 80 per cent, in standards 2 and 3. The attendance in the primer classes was about 60 per cent. These percentages are applicable to most of the schools, and it is estimated that 80 per cent, of all the school children that 80 per cent, of all tho school children in tho city area attended. Tho absence of many children is explained by the fact that the opening day was set down for the middle of the week. It is believed many parents will not send their children back until next Monday. Thero is no particular reason for this, and it can be put down to the whim of the parents. One headmaster stated ho expected a full attendance next Monday. Excellent attendances were reported at the Technical College, the Auckland Grammar vrhools,' and the various private school - It ib too e/u-ly yet to calculate t!.r benefit of tho home tuition courses, out there is no doubt they have done good The children tackled their work with enthusiasm. " Thero was some suggestiou that tho schools should work longer hours to make up for lost time," said Mr. N. H. S. Law, headmaster of the Normal School. " Tho children want to work, and .1 am sure that with tho co-operation of tie masters, all the lost time will bo rnado up. Tho months of February and March aro hot conducive to mental activity in Auckland, and the best working months of tho year aro ahead of us." Tho streets, more especially in the suburbs, wero devoid of the life that has characterised them ever since December. There were no trolleys; there were no boys patiently waiting at tho launch steps for the water-melon boat to come in; and thero were no little girls wistfully hanging over gates. Youth is a virile part of the community. This was established beyond doubt yesterday when there was no youth to be seen. _ Aji educational establishment which is now enabled to resume its normal life is tho Jubileo Institute for the Blind at ParnelL As in the caso of tho public schools, its juvenile inmates liavo been on holiday since the eve of Christmas, when they returned to the homo of their parents, in different parts of tho Dominion. Some of those who belong to the Auckland district havo already resumed residence at the Institute. The matron has gone to Wellington to assemble the southern pupils there and personally conduct thern to Auckland, and school duties will be taken up next Monday.

RESUMPTION IN WELLINGTON.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY. [BZ TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] ■WELLINGTON. Wednesday. All the primary schools in the Wellington Education District opened to-day with tho exception of those in the Horowhenua County aud in Marlborough, which will not reopen until further notice. All the secondary schools in the Wellington Education district also resumed, including tho secondary department of the Levin District High School and Marlborough College. ________