PUPILS’ STRIKE

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20785, 21 April 1939, Page 8

PUPILS’ STRIKE

BU6PENDED FROM SCHOOL REFUSED FOLK DANCING (Special to Times) PUTARURU, Thursday For centuries a traditional national pastime of Englishmen and practically every other race, folk dancing has been declared “sissy” at the Putaruru District High School where a strike against dancing with girls led to three boys being suspended from school by the headmaster. Mr R. G. Hutton, for one month. The trouble occurred when a parent of one boy decided folk dancing with girls was a “sissy” pastime for his son whom he instructed not to take part. The parents of two other boys also objected to folk dancing for reasons not known to the headmaster. The three boys declared a month ago a refusal to dance and for disobedience were suspended from school. Two of the boys returned to school to-day but the third is still absent. Headmaster's Statenfent “Folk dancing has been taught in the school for years, although some pupils on religious grounds have not taken part,” said Mr Hutton to-night. “Three pupils a month ago refused to take part in the folk dancing, giving no explanation beyond saying that they were doing what, their parents had told them. I'suspended the boys for disobeying the teacher’s orders. . “If the boys’ parents had crime to me and said that they objected to folkdancing on the grounds of immorality or ‘sissiness.’ it would have been all right.” continued the headmaster. “1 would have agreed to the boys not taking part. But as it was the boys simply disobeyed the teacher’s orders without giving a proper reason. Two of the parents stated their objection subsequently. This trouble should never have happened.” It is understood that the whole matter will be the subject of an inquiry by the Auckland Education Board. * On March 13 a mixed class was held at the high school, three of the boys objecting and the following week they refused to dance. A meeting of the school committee decided to request the parents to send their boys back to school after the suspension by the headmaster. The boys returned but were sent home again bv the headmaster. To-day two returned and the other is still away.