SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19320, 6 May 1926, Page 11

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

QUESTIONS FDR COMMITTEES. REFERENDUM TO BE TAKEN. AUCKLAND. BOARD'S DECISION. J lie question of the holidays of primary schools' was again discussed by the Auckland Education Board yesterday. A resolution to reopen discussion of the holidays to be granted'this month was defeated, and "it was decided to take a referendum of school committees on the subject for the future guidance of the board. , The chairman, Mr. A. Burns, in accordance with notice of motion, moved that the .board should take a. referendum. He said the primary schools had ten full weeks' holiday in the year, while secondary schools "had 33 weeks. The first question to be decided was the uniformity of the holidays of primary and secondary schools. This would mean adding three weeks to the primary school holidays. There was no response when Mr. Burns asked whether anyone was'willing to support such a change, hut Mr. <l. Brownlee suggested that secondary schools might be persuaded to cut their holidays down. At this point protests were made that the chairman's motion contained tio reference to this matter, and that the discussion was out of order. Protest Against "Wobbling." After further debate Mr. Brownlee moved that the standing orders should be suspended to enable the May holidays to be rediscussed. Mr. H. S. W. King and Mr. J. Boddic said they would support the motion as it was undesirable that discussion should be prevented by a technicality. Mr. J. • Patterson said he could not understand the board's ''wobbling" after having come to a decision 011 the matter. When the motion was put Mr. Patterson voted against it, and it was declared lost, a unanimous vote being required to carry it. The chairman's motion was then carried. It was decided to take a vote of committees on the following questions :—(l) r £hat the present holidays be increased; (2) that the present number of holidays remain; and (3) that the old system of one week's holiday at Easter, one at mid-winter, and one at Michaelmas be reverted to. Country Request Granted. A request was received from the committee of the Elstow, Waihou, school, that the school should be permitted to observe two weeks' holiday in May and one week instead of two in August, on the ground that there had been a good deal of sickness in the district, and the parents, desired, a longer holiday this month. It was decided to grant the request. The Kowhai Junior High School Committee suggested that the school should be granted-two weeks in May to confoim with the holidavs of secondary schools. It was stated" that the minimum number of half-days for which junior high schools must remain open during, the year had not yet been fixed by regulation, and a suggestion was made that- the number should be intermediate between those of.primary and secondary schools It was finallv decided that the board could not differentiate between primary and junior high schools. . , The Committee of Advice of the training College wrote reaffirming its recommendation in regard to the college vacations, and forwarding the principals memorandum on the subject. It was decided to find out what, holidays were observed by other training colleges before proceeding further.