EDUCATION IN N.Z.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17430, 15 April 1922, Page 16

EDUCATION IN N.Z.

GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. Some interesting facts and figures in regard to education in New Zealand were given to a "Press'' representative by the Minister of Education (the Hon. C. J. Parr) on Thursday morning. Some of the householders meetings the previous night, said Mr Parr, had passed motions suggested by the N.Z. Educational Institute protesting against any ''stint" in regard to the educational expenditure. He hardly knew what they meant by "stint." At present tiie instuue rc-presenung the teachers had certainy nothing of which to complain in respect of salaries. In tne public schools in 1914, salaries amounted to £097,478. This year, he believed tney would total about £1,730,OGO. During Uie past two or three jears the.y had increased by £500,00. He regretted that he had had to take back £&), COO of that in the recent cut, but he hoped that that would be only temporary, and that the sum would be restored when times became good again. No Government had done more than the present one for the teaching profession in regard to emoluments and status. The legislation of the past few years had, in fact, made teaching a Dominion service, instead of a merely loo.il or board service. It was now possible for the best man to get a, situation at the top of the profession, and it was rapidly becoming a national service. In 1914, continued the Minister, the expenditure on education for all purposes, including buildings, etc., was £1,412,372. This year he expected it would reach £3,500,000, even with the recent economies. He hoped to have the assistance of the educational bodies and the teachers in investigating the pregnant question of whether the country fully realised -what that large expenditure meant. • The recommendations of the recent curriculum conference in Wellington would soon be printed and distributed, and would open for discussion the isssue of _ whether they ■were developing the right types of schools or the right class or methods of instruction.

"My job," Mr Parr continued, "is to satisfy the tax-payer that his children are being soundly educated. As a matter of fact, I believe that the C9st of education per head of the population in New Zealand is as high as, if not higher than, it is in any part of the Empire with, the exception of the City of London, where it runs to £l9. Even in London, with, that large expenditure, conditions are far from satisfactory,: The last issue of the London "Times" showed that 240,000 children, more than we have m the whole of New Zealand, are being taught in classes of over 50. Our own shortcomings do not approximate in such deplorable conditions. The cure for large classes is more teachers. In our training colleges we havg now doubled the number of student teachers we had three years ago, and I hope in about eighteen months to bring the largest classes well under 50 per teacher. At present, in only about one school in 10 of our 2700 schools, the size of the class is excessive, and that 1 hope soon to remedy. As far as buildings were concerned, the Minister went on, the Government during the" past two years had spent or granted nearly £1,000,000. The building programme had been merely halved by the hard times, and the Government would' start it again ob soon as finance was easier. It was unreasonable to expect much expenditure on buildings when the country was experiencing hard "times. Nine Education Boards had furnished him with their building wants, and to meet them all he woulf need nearly £2,000,000, which was out of the question at present. The Government, however, as far as its resources would permit, would provide schools where there were none and make necessary extensions where there was overcrowding. As far as teachers' pensions were concerned, Mr Parr said that the Government's contribution last, year was £45,000, and he had just been furnished with an actuary's' report, which

he would submit to Cabinet in a few days' time, to the effect that to make the fund perfectly sound, the government's contribution must o© £68.000. That of the teachers, ne thought, was about £65,000 or £'o 000. Many people, concluded the Minister, might think that top much was being soent by the Department. Pe - sonafiy,' he was strongly opposed to anv economy in vital or essential services. Certain things that were merely desirable and certain excrescences that had grown up would be lopped off but true education would not suffer by the cut.