COUNTRY SCHOOL PUPILS

Southland Times, Issue 25350, 29 April 1944, Page 3

COUNTRY SCHOOL PUPILS

NEED FOR HOSTELS A statement that there was an urgent need for suitable hostels for the use of country children who were attending secondary schools, so that there would not be the waste of time and energy that was now involved, was made by Mr A. Napper (Woodlands) during a discussion on board and travelling allowances for country pupils at a meeting of the Southland Provincial Executive of the Farmers Union yesterday. He considered that country children were entitled to an equal opportunity with those of the town. At present they were handicapped by late arrival at school and travelling back home again. Mr, T. Gerrard said that the idea of hostels was a good one, but he considered that the union should press for the establishment of an agriculture college in Southland for both boys and girls to cope with the problems that would be met in future years by those who intended to take up farming or become farmers’ wives. Children who were being brought up for the land 1 should be trained for die land. Mrs N. R. Macintosh, president of the Southland Provincial Executive of the Women’s Division of the Farmers Union, who was present at the, meeting during the discussion, said she hoped to see the Farmers’ Union take definite steps for the establishment of a domestic or home training college for the girls of the province. Only by such methods would the standard of home-making be raised. She could not see why agricultural colleges should not be in the country. Why go to the cities She considered that the decentralization of such colleges would be a step in the right direction and that the country atmosphere would not be lost if this were done. Mr W. Murphy (South Hillend) moved that a farm training school or agricultural college be established in Southland. A decision was made that a remit along these lines should go forward to the provincial conference next month and that serioUs attention be also given to the erection of suitable hostels for girls and boys from the country who were attending secondary schools.