Country school education of the 1930s, a reflection

"...Being sent to a country school was an education in itself.

I had my primary school education in a subsidised school in a private home, vasty different to any public school.

Not only did one learn what life on the land involved for school children, but getting to know the parents and pupils in their own homes was an experience for which I will be forever grateful

So many of the children walked long distances to school, many of whom had helped their parents do the dairying before leaving for school.

Others rode ponies or horses long distances even as far away as Kingsgate and Square Range.

A few sometimes drove a sulky. As can be imaged these children were sometimes very tired by mid-morning and it was not unknown for some of them to be allowed to rest their head on the desk and have a little sleep.

Being refreshed they would go on with the day's studies, travel back home and perhaps help with the dairying again.

One would refrain from setting homework if at all possible because many of these children were such busy little people at home.

Teaching aids at that time were few and far between. No Mothers Club or P&C to provide amenities so one used a lot of ingenuity to make lessons as interesting as possible

Cars were in small numbers, there were no buses, so all schooling had to be done at the school, no excursions or the like, no radio or visual aids like television, no exchanging ideas or visits with other schools....'

In the image are students from Red Range School in September of 1929...

At back: Ernie Mansfield (headmaster) with 4th row: Spence Davis, Laurie Walmsley, Harold Mortlock, Jack Lawler, Don Austin, Wally Stewart, Devon Brookfield, Ivar Escott, Lloyd Scott, Jack Scott, Len Ford, Claude Carney, Jim Johnson, Les Carney, Wilfred Grey; 3rd row: Jean Scott, Sylvia Fakes, Vera Walmsley, Beryl Webber, Kathy Rogers, Mavis Davies, Francis Roberts, Gwen Williamson, Jane Hollis, Joyce Perret, Lorna Johnson, Joyce Davies, Gladys Drew, Wally Drew; 2nd row: Ollie Johnson, Avis Hall, Kath Ryall, Ellen Austin, Doreen Pettit, Ruby Judge, Ruth Williamson, Merle Johnson, Doris Carney, Nola Cornish, Vivian Cornish, Ruth Miller, Ollie Drew, Molly Brookfield, Reg Kempton; Front: Ron Austin, Eric Miller, John Roberts, Malcolm Austin, Allan Williamson, Allan Scott, Max Webber, Reg Austin, Sid Walmsley, Billy Mortlock, Jock Kempton, Roy Roberts