SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4526, 29 April 1889, Page 4

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

4/ There ia unquestionably a strong feeling abroad that the number of holidays given in the State Schools is unnocesßonly largo. Equally true ia it that the number ia growing year by year, and that unless something ia dono to check the desire for extension, the time devoted to ploy will be soon out of all proportion to that occupied by work. No sensible person opposes the school teacher having proper rest and recreation ; but care must be taken tbat tbe holidays ore seasonable and not of undue length. We are, how ever, just afraid that in the discussion of this question a lot of nonsense will bo talked by thoae who, regarding the schoolmaster as a much-favoured and highlyremunerated individual, are diaposed to look on him aa the cauae of meat of the trouble, i hia ia not tho fact. To our knowledge headmusters in town and in the suburbs have loyally assisted committeea in endeavouring to limit tho number of holidays, but their efforts in this direction havo been counteracted by the action of the parenta of the pupila. A few years ago the chairmen of the town committees, under the presidency of Dr Mocdonald, endeavoured to enforce uniformity of holidays ond to limit their number in the city schools, but the plan , then sanctioned was only enforced for o few montha. The difficultiea then experienced hove been intenaified under tho scheme by which the school grant ia now . apportioned. Computation by " strict are- . rage " gives no option to the heodmoater, who is solicitoiiß about the atatua of hia school , or tho grant it earns. When the attendance dwindles— no matter what the operating I cause— to a point that offectß the " atrict ; average," the best interests of the school demand that it should be closed for the day, and he acta accordingly. A great deal less | than a geoeral holiday will produce this result— eases of the kind occur frequently j during the school yeor and need not be par- , ticulorised. But in auch caßes it is tho parenta, who, by withdrawing their children from school on the merest pretext, too often bring about the frequent closing which so many of them condemn. — Dunedin Star.