SCHOOL PICNICS

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11026, 24 December 1928, Page 7

SCHOOL PICNICS

OPINIONS OF HEADMASTERS.

“Should school picnics be abolished and tli e money raised diverted to more useful channels?’’ This question was discussed at a. meeting of the Wellington School Committees’ Association, when, after a lengthy debate, a motion was carried to the effect that school picnics should not be curtailed.

Mr J. K. Eady, headmaster of the Wellington South school, said school picnics were always looked upon as pleasurable social functions. He certainly thought that if picnics were to be held the headmasters and the staffs should not be asked to raise money for that purpose or to aeefept responsibility in any way for the details. In his opinion, th e money raised might be diverted to more useful channels, such as the establishment of a reference library. The school should be a social centre, and a rallying, point, but he did not think that there was any need for the holding of picnics year after year. On the other hand, educational excursions or outings were good things, and should be encouraged. Mr H. F. Penlington, headmaster of th e Island Bay school, said that the need of a picnic varied according to each school. Schools in charming surroundings provided a picnics for the children every day of their life. He could name schools, ha* said, where a picnic was needed every year even at considerable expense. When it came to the average school the question revolved round what amount was justified. A school was very much in need of a picnic indeed if the expenses amounted to more than £4O or £SO. To sum up, picnics in themselves were certainly not objectionable. The only question was: What expense was justified? Mr V. Klee said he was confident if the school picnics were abolished the money now raised would not be forthcoming for other purposes. . Mr N. A. Ingram said he objected strongly to the abolition of school picnics. The world to-day was jazzmad, and was drifting away from old-fashioned things. What harm could thei'Q possiblv be in the holding of a picnic, which gave pleasure not only to the children, but to the parents as well. Noboclv objected to a school having a first-class reference library, but £SO or £6O spent on a large school for a picnic was not too much when it was considered that the parents contributed practically every penny of it. The parents wanted th e picnic, and were prepared to pay for it. If the school were so badly in need of a reference library, why had not the headmaster appealed to the parents ? Mr T. Scrimshaw said he was also in favour of the retention of the annual school picnics; it rvas the one bright day in the lives of the children. Mr Penlington said the money would not be used for a reference library in every case. That was only a purpose to which it might be put in some schools. After further discussion a motion was carried: “That this association considers that school picnics should not be curtailed.”