Story: Primary and secondary education

These extracts from the logbook for Hastwell school, in Wairarapa, in January 1898 shows the difficulties of getting a reasonable number of children to attend classes regularly. Boys were being kept at home to help with the harvest of grass seed, which was late that year. At many country schools attendance was sporadic in the 19th century. Parents needed their children to help with farm work, and that requirement was given priority over education in many families.