1822

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 49

(c) Spring holidays: Two weeks—the date of the commencement of the holidays to be determined by the Director.

(d) Midsummer holidays: Six weeks—the date of the commencement of the holidays to be determined by the Director.

73. Should circumstances render it necessary, teachers may be instructed to postpone any holiday; otherwise all holidays must be strictly observed on the prescribed dates.

74. No holidays other than those prescribed above shall be given without the previously obtained sanction of the Director, except in the case of days on which the school building may be required for parliamentary-election purposes.

75. On all occasions when the school is closed for term or midsummer holidays the head teacher must notify the chairman of the Committee beforehand of the date upon which the school is to be closed, and also of the date of its reopening.

76. Native schools shall as far as possible be open for not less than 400 half-days in each year, and in order that this may be provided for the ordinary holidays may be curtailed where schools are closed owing to epidemics or other causes.

Leave of absence.

77. (1) Subject to the general regulations made by the Public Service Commissioner, leave of absence may be granted only by the Director, and every application for leave shall be accompanied by an explicit statement of the reason for making it.

(2) The absence without leave of any teacher or assistant teacher for any half-day on which these regulations require that school shall be held will be taken as prima facie evidence that such teacher or assistant teacher has resigned.

Attendance registers and returns.

78. (1) The following attendance registers shall be kept by the head teacher of every Native school in the forms provided by the Department, and shall contain the information set out below, together with such further particulars regarding the admission, attendance, progress, and withdrawal of the pupils of the school as are required by the registers:—

(a) An admission register showing the dates of birth, admission, and withdrawal of each pupil:

(b) A register of daily attendance showing, with respect to all pupils not under school age, a record of their attendances for every half-day on which the school is open and the total attendances on each half-day:

(c) A summary of attendance register showing the total and average weekly attendances and roll numbers, and the average attendance for each term.

(2) All registers must be carefully preserved by the head teacher until their destruction is authorized by the Minister.

79. Subject to the discretion of the Inspector, a child that is below school age or a child that is above school age may be allowed to attend school for instruction, but in no case shall the name of any child that is below the age of five years be entered on the school register, nor shall his attendances be taken into account.

80. (1) The attendance of scholars in every school shall be recorded every morning and every afternoon in the daily-attendance register, which shall be marked not later than two hours before the close of morning school nor later than one hour and a half before the close of afternoon school. The register shall be marked and kept in accordance with the directions printed thereon.

(2) The attendance of a child at morning school shall be reckoned as one attendance, and the attendance of a child at afternoon school shall be reckoned as one attendance, and a school open in the morning and open in the afternoon shall be deemed to have been open twice. The school shall be held to be open on any morning or afternoon if at least one child is present before the first half-hour of the ordinary school time has passed.

81. In cases where from any cause, such as bad weather, the school has not been open in the morning, the teacher shall do what he can to encourage an afternoon attendance, if possible, in order that the school work may be carried on regularly and efficiently. The holding of the afternoon school must in no way be made to depend on the morning attendance; the opportunity to attend must be offered to the children in good faith twice a day.

82. For the purpose of recording attendances of pupils the school year shall be divided into three terms, ending not later than 15th May, 31st August, and 31st December, respectively. When no children have been present on an ordinary half-day the teacher shall enter in the log-book an explanation of the circumstances owing to which the total absence has been due.