SALUTING THE FLAG

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 November 1941, Page 8

SALUTING THE FLAG

ON NATIONAL DAYS OBSERVANCE BY SCHOOLS. REGULATIONS EXPLAINED BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The patriotic observance by schools of days having a national significance is provided for in regulations gazetted yesterday. The regulations state that the ceremony of honouring the Flag is to be observed at all public schools in commemoration of the following days: February 6 (the anniversary of' the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi), April 25 (Anzac Day), May 24 (Empire Day), first Monday in June (the day fixed for the observance of the birth-, day of the King), fourth Monday in September (the day fixed for the observance of Dominion Day), Octobei’ 21 (Trafalgar Day), November 11 (Armistice Day). If any of these days are not school days the ceremony is' to be observed on the last preceding school day. Provision is made for the Minister of Education to authorise additional days for observance of the ceremony or for school committees to do so with the concurrence of the education board. If there are local celebrations which the school children attend, then the schoolmaster has discretion to dispense with the school celebration. An explanation of the regulations was given by the Minister of Education, Mr Mason, in an interview last evening. He said the purpose of them was to tend to awaken a spirit of) patriotism in the children, together with a proper regard for our national institutions and a pride in the nation’s heroes in peace and war. The necessity for the regulations arose from the fact that some of the education boards had by-laws providing for the saluting of the flag and that these were held to be ultra vires and ineffective. The regulations would take their place and put the matter beyond doubt. The flag to be flown would be the New Zealand ensign where it was available. In other cases the Union Jack might be used, and provision had also been made for cases where a flag was not available or one could not be flown.

Mr Mason said that detailed directions would be circulated to schools. The intention was to make the ceremony brief but impressive, and though the directions would be precise there would be reasonable elasticity to allow for all circumstances. For example, reference might be made to old boys of the school or to others whose heroism ought specially to be remembered. “It is believed,” said the Minister, “that the ceremony will be conducive to a feeling of pride in our country and its democratic institutions, and of thankfulness to the men and women of times past to whose struggles we owe them.”