EDUCATION REFORMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 215, 11 September 1929, Page 23

EDUCATION REFORMS.

UNDUE DELAY DENIED. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. NEED OF DIGNIFIED BUILDINGS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Speaking at the Technical Education Association's conference to-day, the Minister of Education, the Hon. H. Atmore, made reference to remarks about delay in connection with the new educational policy. He said a Select Committee had been set up, and in the near future educational representatives would be heard before it. He denied that there had been undue delay. The technical school teachers in May had made recommendations much along the lines he had been referring to. Mr. Atmore stressed the importance of technical training, which, he said, was necessary in any complete system of education. It did not matter whether a man was going to be a lawyer or a minister of religion; he should have hi 3 hand and eye trained. The sooner we looked upon technical education as beinCT a vital phase of education, the better it would be for New Zealand. Education in the past had not been- sufciently practical. He would like to see such schools as agricultural schools at Feilding and Rangiora multiplied. He assured the conference that whatever changes were made, the delegates could rely that nothing would be brought into being that would undermine the work of the technical school teachers and managers. Mr. Atmore also stressed the need for unification in all matters pertaining to education, but said his remarks must not be taken as an attack on the board system, in which he believed. Referring to buildings, he said that recently he had rejected the plans of a technical college, because they appeared more like, Trentham hutments or a fac : tpry. He did want the training places of the citizens of New Zealand to have a dignified appearance. That would not mean, in many cases, a tremendous addition to costs. "I am not prepared to allow buildings to be put up in my term that will be a disgrace to New Zealand and to the importance people attach to education," the Minister said.