SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

Western Star, Issue 352, 26 May 1880, Page 3

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

TO THE EDITOE. Sib,— With your permission I wish to direct the attention of School Committees in this district to a motion proposed by Mr Lumsden and passed by the Education Board at its last meeting to reduce the number of school holidays. Mr Lumsden proposes to reduce the number of holidays on the ground that the teachers are always “ clamoring ” for holidays. How can they when they are fixed by the Beard P For my part—and I have .been a member of the School Committee here for the last seven years —I have never heard any ©f this “ clamoring ” for holidays, but. on the contrary, have found teachers tco anxious to make the children overtake the work of the syllabus to give them -all the relaxation they require. I consider if children are made to work hard (as they must do under the present high pressure system) for forty-four weeks in the year they require eight weeks’ holidays, and I for one, as a parent, protest against the holidays being curtailed. Mr Lumsden, in speaking on the subject, says that teachers have more holidays than other professional men. He seems to think that holidays merely exist for the convenience of teachers, almost totally ignoring the necessity of young children being free now and again from school tasKs and home exercises. It is absurd to compare the monotonous woi'k of a diligent teacher, from nine till four, j with a hurried half-hour for dinner, to the work of a professional man. The latter has many an agreeable break in his day’s labor. The teacher’s work is one continual; turn at the grindstone till the day’s work is done. The Board have not left the local committees much say in the education of their own children ; but it must be very flattering' to School Committees ts be asked to give an opinion regarding Mr Lumsden’s motion lifter the same has been passed by the Board. "In conclusion, I would express my hope that the School Committees of Southland will unanimously object to this alteration in the number of holidays. Surely the Committees are more competent to judge when a holiday is wanted than the Board can he, and if any Committee thinks forty days in the year t6d many, there is nothing to prevent them from having a lesser number. —1 am, &c., James Reid. Riverton, 24th May, 1880.