OUR READERS’ VIEWPOINT

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 68, Issue 5944, 17 May 1944, Page 6

OUR READERS’ VIEWPOINT

THE HIGH SCHOOL Sir,—Mr Donaldson’s latest effort is easily disposed of. I do not discourage boys who wish to take Agriculture. I asked departmental officers and inspectors to consider the acquisition of Mr Ferriman’s property as a school farm two years before Mi Donaldson thought of his crusade against me. I did not know Seddon Technical were selling out their poultry outfit, and Mr Donaldson did not let me know. Mr Day said he thought he had some wire, and has since told me he cannot help. The two boys who “played billiards” asked to be allowed to help at the primary school sports held recently. They left the sports at lunch time, went home, and changed from school uniform. As the result of meeting some friend or relation of one o* them, they spent some time in a billiard room. I was duly informed, and pointed out to the boys that they had behaved very badly and had disgraced the school. They claimed that theii parents had no objection to their going to billiard rooms, and I had that point settled. The matter was adequately dealt with in the end, and the offence was not condoned. The “little Johnny story” is a garbled account of something I told the committee. Once when a teacher was absent on sick leave, I was detained five minutes in going- along- to the class. I found a bey had taken charge, and he managed a reading, not an arithmetic, lesson so well that I did not interfere with him until the last few minutes. 1 was proud of the initiative shown, and of the class co-operation. I did no'* leave the room for the whole period. Anyone who is acquainted with modern methods of education would have realised that the performance of the boy and the class was most encouraging, and one that every good teacher strives for. The day of lecturing at children is past. Finally, when we allow children to leave school for music lessons, we cannot go with them to bring them back to school. The little boy who went home should have been smacked by his mother who has not reported to me, but to Mr Donaldson.—l am, etc., W. G. S. SMITH.