COUNCIL OF EDUCATION.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16558, 25 June 1919, Page 7

COUNCIL OF EDUCATION.

I ADDRESS BY MINISTER. ___ j (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) "WELLINGTON, June 24. 1 A meeting of the Council of Education was commenced this morning, the Director of Education presiding. The Minister of Education, addressing the Council, referred to tho greater public interest in education, and said that tho result of this awakened interest would be tho setting on foot of a movement which would make for efficiency. Ono of the greatest needs of tho present moment was the co-ordina-tion of the various branches of eau'-a-tion. On the question of control Mr 1 Ilanan said that unity of command in tuc war had secured unity of purpose, and as far as possible unified systems were required in education. Suggestions had Ijeen made rogarding the appointment of a Director of Education to .succeed • Dr. Anderson, when his time carnc to retire. He (Mr Ilanan) <lid not believe tho man was living who possessed the qualifications that wero sketched by soive peop!r> for the occupant of that position. "What he thought was wanted was a director having experts in particular branchos of education at his elbow to consult witu. "With regard to an imported man, they might import a man from another country whero other systems obtained, but in New Zealand they had gone further than most countries. They wanted to 1)0 very careful before they made ft recommendation that an outside man should be imported. In this country they had men well oualified for the post, who understood the system and its aims, and ideals. Their claims should got preference, unless it could be shown that they could got the ideal man that many of them wanted. On the subject of building expenditure, the Minister pointed out that tho Government was being asked for vory large sums for grants for secondary and technical schools to meet the demands for increased facilities. The amount involved he estimated 'to represent an increase in the building vote of £1,600,000. By means of an increased building vote, they had been able to pursue a forward policy, but a substantial increase would have to be made if they were to. meet the wishes of the Boards for extensions and improvements. Ho was anxious to obtain the largest vote possible for education, but it must be recognised that there was a limit to the resources of the country. With the support of public opinion, however, ho believed that an increase could be obtained, and it was needed. Touching upon the difficulty of finding flat land in suitable areas for schools' recreation grounds, tho Minister said the question arose whether they should now place schools in a city, or whether schools for senior pupils should not be in tho suburbs, to which the children should be conveyod. He was anxious, if possible, to equalise advantages between town and country, and to see country children given a good schooling, and this could only be done bjr consolidation. But to this consolidation there was strong local opposition. Discussing teachors' he said this country, in common with other parts of the world, was now experiencing a shortage of properly trained teachers, because the warnings of educationists had not been heedod as to the need for increasing salaries. Thin state of affairs would continue until it was recognised that a teacher was entitled to the highest pay and emoluments. The shortage of teachers waa hampering them in trying to reduce tho size of classes and extend the system of continuation classes.