Pupils may form union

A Secondary School Students' Association may soon be set up in Wellington. A pamphlet inviting school students to a meeting on Sunday, September 29, in the Kelburn School Hall, advocates this step.

The meeting will be addressed by Mr J. J. Shallcrass, senior lecturer in Education at Victoria, on "Student Action Today".

About 1500 copies of the pamphlet will be distributed to schools in the Wellington area.

It supports the case for such an association and lists a number of grievances that could be dealt with by the association.

Questions on such subjects as corporal punishment, school uniforms, smoking, unproductive punishments, religious observances, and examinations are raised.

Two members of the interim committee, George and Hugh Fyson, who are also closely associated with the recently formed Socialist Club, explained in a prepared statement the participation of university students in the organisation.

"It is too much to expect that secondary school students will necessarily of themselves be able to initiate and successfully organise an association. At the moment, secondary school and university students are co-operating in the interim committee— the university students having, however, voice but no vote.

"As soon as the organisation is firmly established, the university students hope that they will be able to leave it entirely in the hands of secondary school students." they said

"It may be inferred that university students are planning to force political ideas down the throats of secondary school students by means of this organisation. Our only concern, however, is to get the organisation going.

"Any political stands such an organisation may take in the future will arise only from democratic decisions taken by the majority of secondary school students long after we have ceased activity in it.

"It may be that the SSS Association will become bureaucratically deformed after its formation, like some university students' associations. The would be regrettable, but we cannot actively concern ourselves with this. We repeat: We are only helping to get an organisation off the ground," said the Fysons.

Another university student. Bruce Preston, has organised the publication of the "Free Press, the uncensored voice of the pupils of Wellington College".

It appears that there is no connection between this publication and the move to start an association.

The Fyson brothers say it is unfortunate that at the same time as their pamphlet is being distributed, another publication calling itself "Free Press—the uncensored voice of the pupils of Wellington College" has also made its appearance.

However, the Headmaster of Wellington College. Mr S. H. W. Hill, feels that it is too much of a coincidence for the two pamphlets to have appeared coincidentally.

Mr Hill said he "couldn't do much about it." The 'Free Press' "attacked the school, but institutions have just got to take that sort of thing.

"But there are two sections in the centre of the pamphlet that are libellous against a members of the staff, and I take these very seriously indeed."