A petition protesting against the scheme was received from parents in Westfield Avenue and Tennyson-road whose children have to go to South End Schools. Two mothers who were interviewed by the Committee had some candid remarks to make but eventually promised to send their children to South End on the understanding that every effort would be made by the Committee to accommodate them at Alfred-street after the summer holidays.

The Committee requested the Press to make it clear that they hope that the congestion at Alfred-street will be considerably lightened next term and that it is hoped after the holiday to accommodate children from Purvis-road and Tennyson-road at the Alfred-street School.

Rushden School Managers have agreed to allow head-mistresses who wish to arrange for the supply of milk to children to do so.

Education Committee’s Lively Meeting
Members Present

The members present were Messrs. C. Claridge (in the chair), F. Corby, C. W. Horrell, C.A., W. E. Capon, E. Freeman, E. A. Sugars, L. Baxter, A. Allebone, C.C., F. Green, L. Perkins, M.B.E., J.P., B.Sc., the Rev. C. J. Keeler, and the Clerk Mr. J. Ferris.

Attendances

The quarterly report of the Attendance Officer showed the following percentage attendances during the quarter: Newton-road Mixed, 88.5; Alfred-street Mixed, 87; Intermediate, 91.7; South End Mixed, 83.6; Newton-road Infants, 84; Alfred-street Infants, 81.2; South End Infants, 80.3; Moor-road Infants, 83.6; a total average of 86.1 compared with 84.3 for the corresponding period of last year.

The Attendance Officer added that there had been a general epidemic of influenza throughout the schools, which had affected the attendance.

Infant Schools

Mr. Perkins suggested that in view of the crowding in the Infants Schools, children under five years of age should not be admitted for the winter term. Parents were not obliged to send children before they reached that age and the authorities were not obliged to admit them. He thought parents should be discouraged from sending their children for that term if under five.

Mothers Interviewed

The Committee interviewed the mothers of three children, who, the Clerk reported, had made very poor attendances during recent months. In one case a girl had made only 25 attendances out of 126 in 13 weeks.

The Chairman pointed out to the parents that a child could not be kept away from school unless a doctor’s certificate were obtained. Otherwise the committee would have to prosecute. The children could not be kept away because the mother happened to be ill. Promises to send the children regularly were made.

Re-zoning Petition

The Chairman reported the receipt of a petition, protesting against the re-zoning of the Rushden schools, from parents residing in Tennyson-road and Westfield Avenue.

Several applications were also received applying for the transfer of children from one school to another.

Applications in connection with which doctor’s certificates were produced, stating that it would be in the interests of the children for the change to be made, were acceded to, but the Committee decided that they could not grant the requests in the case of children who had no infirmity.

Two applications from parents on the New Estate were for the transfer of children from South End Schools to Alfred-street.

Mr. Allebone said the difficulties arose with children about eight years of age. When the re-zoning scheme was adopted it was thought that at that age the children could do the extra distance.

Mr. Horrell said that where there was no infirmity he did not think they ought to grant such applications.

The Chairman: Parents are obliged to send their children to school.

The Clerk: Some have said they would rather go to the police court than send their children to South End. After the summer holidays, however, I think the pressure at Alfred-street will ease considerably. The difficulty is between now and the summer holiday and after then there should be plenty of accommodation at Alfred-street.

Mr. Horrell: I think they ought to comply with the conditions until that time.

Mr. Keeler: We might deal with individual cases but we could not deal with a whole district and if we admit one we might open the door for others.

Mr. Baxter: I am afraid we shall have this trouble until we do away with the zoning.

The Chairman: We must do something.

Mr. Baxter: If this arrangement were abolished and the matter left in the hands of the headmasters this thing could be arranged immediately. They know the districts and the children. The county officer does not know the districts and is not in touch with them and I am of the opinion that much better arrangements could be made. I have seen the two ladies who have asked for their children to be transferred from South End to Alfred-street. They kept me for an hour and they raised every objection that we have already raised about the dangerous crossings, etc., and did raise when Mr. Holland was here.

Mr. Perkins: I should like to ask the Clerk whether it would not be possible to bring the lower standards into line with the zoning already obtained for the Infant Schools. If something could be done like that the situation might be eased in time. The trouble is with the children about eight years of age.

The Chairman: What are we going to do with these two cases?

Mr. Capon: It is a question of policy.

The Clerk: I am certain that you will have to have a case in the police court before some fall in with the scheme.

Mr. Horrell: If we do it for these, others will want to come in.

Mr. Capon: I move we do not accede.

The Chairman: The scheme is in existence and we must abide by it.

It was agreed not to grant the applications.

Mr. Perkins: Will it not be as well to re-consider this scheme and see if by a little re-zoning we cannot accommodate these people better?

Mr. Allebone: If we can give them some hope that if they send their children to South End for the summer term, there may be a hope of transferring them to Alfred-street after the holidays, it will be better than having to resort to the police court, which might cause disturbance all round.

Mr. Perkins suggested a meeting of headmasters during the term to consider the whole problem.

Mr. Allebone: One headmaster told me that the headmasters, who were much more conversant with the children and the districts, could settle it better than the Chief Attendance Officer who was not conversant with the area.

The Clerk: The children settled at South End are all right. It is just the question of starting.

The Committee then interviewed the two moths who had made application for the transfer of their children from South End to Alfred-street.

After the position had been explained by the Chairman, one woman said: “We are only mothers fighting for our children’s rights. We cannot be at home and do our housework and feel they are safely at school. We will do our best providing you do your best, but I don’t think you have done.”

The second woman said the distances ought to be halved, and those children living near Alfred-street ought to go to South End to allow the children from the New Estate to go to Alfred-street. “We will agree to send our children there providing that they come here after the summer holidays.”

The Chairman: We cannot definitely promise that, but we will do our best to get them in.

One of the ladies said the children had to walk four miles a day. “We have both got children older and if it were them we would not have minded but to put it on to the little children is a shame.

“There are mothers and mothers. Some mothers do not care where their children go. You can never make a father have that love for children that a mother has got.” (The Chairman: I am not so sure of that.) “If you notice, it is the mother that has to bear the brunt every time.”

Later one of the women said: “I am not devoid of sense. We are not keeping them away out of malice, but simply because we are in the right. I think it is wicked. It is too far and too dangerous. Why not let the children from Duck-street go to the South End School and ours to Alfred-street. If they are ill who has got to bear the brunt? Will the masters mind if the children do not get back to school before a quarter past two after dinner. Mine won’t get there before.

Mr. Perkins: If you will send them there this term everything possible will be done to send them to Alfred-street next term. The zoning scheme may be modified possibly.

One of the women said they had moved up there for the sake of the children, into better surroundings and they did not want to have the extra worry in this way.

“We will send them to school until the holiday,” continued the woman, “and I hope they will get a man in Rushden to work this zoning out. I think it is a downright shame. We have the children from birth and do what a mother should do for them and then get this. I think it is rotten. I am talking to you seriously, and I hope you are taking it the same.”

As she left the room she added: “We live in hopes.”

Mr. Horrell said he thought they could hold out some hope that every effort would be made after the summer vacation to make it possible for the children to enter Alfred-street School.

The Clerk: I have gone carefully into the figures with Mr. Rial and I believe it will be possible to bring the Purvis and Tennyson-roads children into Alfred-street. This would bring the whole of the new estate into this zone.

Mr. Corby: That will be a very good thing for them.

Mr. Perkins: Will the head-teachers meet as the Infants’ teachers did?

Mr. Ferris: What that lady said was quite right. You cannot expect children to pass one school to get to another.

Mr. Horrell: If we are not careful we are going to get individual complaints all over the town. Perhaps the Press will make it plain that it is hoped to make arrangements for certain transfers to Alfred-street after the summer holidays.

Mr. Allebone: Perhaps the teachers will consider it and submit a scheme for consideration by the Managers, and not expect them to consider it in one night. Last time, when Mr. Prothero came the scheme was passed in a short time.

Mr. Freeman: I thought the head-teachers had been consulted before. I was amazed when I found they had not.

It was agreed to ask the head teachers to meet to consider the question.

Mr. Keeler said that when shown the map of the zones by Mr. Prothero he pointed out difficulties that might arise, but the reply was “You must have the boundary somewhere.” It was all very well to draw a map but it was quite different on the ground.

School Managers

A meeting of the Rushden School Managers followed, Mr. L. Baxter presiding.

Supply of Milk

In reply to Mr. Freeman the Clerk said he had seen the head teacher of Newton-road Infants School and she was not in favour of supplying milk.

Mr. Claridge said Miss Partridge would like to try it and he did not see any reason why they should wait for all the teachers to agree. If Miss Packer and Miss Partridge wanted to try the scheme he thought they might safely leave it to them. It might benefit the children. Miss Partridge had told him she had half a dozen poor children whom the milk would benefit.

Mr. Corby: Has the county done anything?

Mr. Claridge: It is just the Medical Officer who recommended it.

Mr. Sugars: It may help the health of the children and if we are going to do that we might get better attendances.

The Chairman: If we can do anything to help the children we ought to try.

It was agreed to inform the headmistresses that they could introduce the scheme for the supply of milk if they wished.

Repairs to Schools

The Clerk informed the Managers that the county authorities had agreed to carry out internal renovations to South End School and external renovations to Newton-road and Moor-road Schools.

South End Headship

The Clerk reported the receipt of 45 applications for the headmastership of South End School in succession to Mr. B. M. Jones, who resigned recently through ill-health.

It was agreed to call a special meeting to consider the applications.

Heating Apparatus

The Chairman reported on inquiries made in connection with the proposed provision of new heating apparatus for South End Schools. He had inspected, in company with Mr. Claridge, a steam radiator at the Catholic School-room, the working of which was kindly explained to them by Father (unreadable). It was economical and only required filling with water about once in two months.

The Managers were informed that a scheme was in course of preparation.