Figure 1.-- Here we see a group of boys atvthe Canterbury Public Library in Christchurch. The photograph is not dated, but looks like the 1950s. We see a group of Christchurch schoolboys in their uniforms browsing in the library. We are not sure if it is after school or a school trip. Note their school uniforms; short trousers suits with school caps and dark knee socks with a colored band below the knee (undoubtedly representing the school colors). Most of the boys have let their knee socks slip down toward the ankles, a perennial problem with boys' school socks which needed garters to keep them in place because there was not enough elasticity in the cuffs of the socks in the 1950s. Many mothers sewed rounds of elastic to be used as garters to keep socks up, but the garters tended to get lost or forgotten by boys, some of whom disliked having to wear knee socks. Boys were always being told to pull up their socks at school, and sometimes there were penalties for being careless about this rule. Many of the boys seem to be wearing v-necked sweaters underneath their jackets, or perhaps, school blazers, although the short trousers seem to match the jackets. These boys seem to be about 11-13 years old.

Developing reading skills are of course a major goal of the schools. Actual reading does take place at school, especially primary school. By secondary school the program involves doing most of thecvassigned reading and researching at home. Until after World War II, few schools had very extensive libraries. Thus the children relied on the public libraries for finding interesting books and resesrching. There were often close connections between the schools and libraries. Reading was also an important recreational ctivirt for the children tht teachers and parents had sucessfully interested in reading. This was especially true in the forst half of the 20th century when there were a limited range of activities competingbfor children's time. Beginning in the19609s, New Zealand schools have given much more emphasis on building strong school libraries.

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Created: 7:21 PM 12/31/2010
Last updated: 7:21 PM 12/31/2010