Enforcing Attendance at Schools

Waipawa Mail, Volume X, Issue 1024, 18 December 1886, Page 3

Enforcing Attendance at Schools

( Hair era Star .) At tho R. M. Court recently informations were heard against several residents ol : Normanby for failure to send their children to school. The first information wasngiinst John Redding. Defendant, when asked to plead, said the child had been kept from school because her mother had been in “ cliokey.” The evidence of Francis Sisley, chairman of tlie committee showed that tho hoy, aged 12, had been very irregular in attendance. Tho bench pointed out that under the Act there was no provision against irregular altandance. The offence was neglect to send the child at all. There seemed to be something in the Act there. The evidence of Mr Sisley and Constable Mclvor proved to be deficient in that it did not show that there had been any notice served on defendant in the form required by the statute. John Towers and “Andrew Wilson were also proceeded against, and the evidence was similiar on most points. It was shown in the former case that an official notice had been served but it ivas served Romo time ago, and after service the child had attended. There had hewever, been no attendance since Ist September. In the case of Wilson, Mr Sisley said he believed from what he heard that the child had been sent, but played truant. For this he blamed the teachers. The child was not good at learning, and instead of teaching him tlioy had used the supple - jack and had frightened the child. The Bench having heard all ihe cases said the absence of proof of duo formal notice was fatal. It was also doubted whether the Act applied except where children had absolutely' ceased to attend school. Irregular attendance did not seem to l>o an offence.