Page 15 - 1973 News Clippings

Bomb scare evacuates high school

All staff and pupils at Hamilton As this edition went to press, searches
Boys’ High School were evacuated shortly of both premises were still being made by
before 1pm today after a telephone caller Hamilton police.
warned there was a bomb in the school The bomb calls, presumably hoaxes,
buildings.
followed another scare which saw
About the same time a similar call was Woolworths evacuated and part of Victoria
made to Mobil Oil’s depot in Ellis Street, Street closed on Friday night.
Frankton, and staff were told to clear the
area.

Principal alleges parents

conniving at school truancy

Too many truants are school in a few months, into the field,” to investigate
truants with connivance of found any excuse to be cases referred to them by
their parents, according to absent. secondary schools, to visit
the chairman of the “The number of truants their homes, to discover
Central North Island State is a relatively small pro- pupils in their haunts and
Secondary School Princ- portion of the school return them to school.
ipals’ Association, Mr A. D. population and the time The most distressing
Morrison.
taken in checking truancy is aspect of the problem was,
Reporting on the wholly disproportionate to however, the attitude of the

association’s recent meeting the numbers involved. parents.
in Paeroa, Mr Morrison said Truants can be found in LACK OF CONCERN
truancy was the main topic every school throughout the
of discussion. A number of region.” “Some show total
principals had expressed Mr Morrison said unconcern about their
concern over the problem at procedures existed for children’s attendance and
the association’s April dealing with truants, such as schooling. Others, while
meeting and a survey of action by education boards’ expressing concern, exhibit
truancy in the region was attendance officers, but the their true unconcern by the
being completed. law moved slowly and facility by which they

DISPROPORTIONATE effective action was long in provide their children with
notes that give trivial reasons
He said the term truant coming. Most principals for absence, or, worse still,
should be applied to several devised their own methods. reasons that could not be
groups who simply did not Success could come correct.
attend school, to those whose only through communication “Truancy is no longer a
attendance was irregular and with parents and the most school problem - it has
to those who, sensing their effective step to be taken become a social problem,”
inadequacies in the face of would be the employment of Mr Morrison said.
coming examinations or full-time truancy officers,
knowing they would leave whose job it would be to “go