EDUCATION CHANGES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 173, 24 July 1930, Page 20

EDUCATION CHANGES.

GRAMMAR BOARD OBJECTS.

"WILL IMPAIR EFFICIENCY,"

DANGERS OF CENTRALISATION,

Strong criticism of the Government's attitude regarding the circulation of the Select Committee's report on education was made at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Grammar School Board. The chairman, Professor A. P. W. Thomas, said no copy of the report had been forward to the hoard. Mr. A. Burns, chairman of the Auckland Education Board, said only one copy had been sent to that body and when an urgent request for additional copies for consideration by the members was made, the Minister replied that no mora were available.- .The-report proposed drastic and far-reaching changes, and it was a discourtesy to local educational bodies that they should be debarred from full consideration of the document. "The Technical College Board received a report, but we had to ask for one, and it was through the courtesy of the Hon. J. B. Donald that we got it," said Mr. H. S. W. King. Mr. Burns said the Gram-' mar School Board had been functioning admirably for many years and had the, fullest confidence of the • public. The report proposed that it should be virtu-' ally abolished, and yet it was not furnished with the fuU report.' "It seems very much like sentencing a prisoner without 'allowing him the'opportunity of speaking in his own defence." Sitting in committee,'the board considered a lengthy report by Professor Thomas on the proposals submitted. Its main principles were approved, but it was decided that certain amendments should be made before it was circulated amongst members of Parliament and secondary school boards. On the motion of Mr. A. St. Clair Brown, the following resolution was carried unanimously: —"That the board is of opinion that the efficiency of the great secondary schools of Auckland will inevitable be gravely impaired by the proposed changes in the educational system. The essence of . the system, as proposed, will be a levelling down and a complete centralisation of authority in Wellington. The board- considers equality of opportunity for all classes, and tho resulting pre-eminence of the most intellectual pupils, irrespective of class, to be the essence of democracy, and that the results of the Auckland Grammar Schools are the best tribute to the existing system of control."