ECONOMIES IN EDUCATION.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20505, 26 March 1932, Page 15

ECONOMIES IN EDUCATION.

TECHNICAL COLLEGE BOARD PROTESTS.

The recommendations of the National Expenditure Commission in respect of education were discussed at a special meeting of the Board of Governors of the Christchurch Technical College on Wednesday evening, and it was decided to forward a protest against the changes proposed to the Minister for Education (the Hon. E. Masters, M.L.C.). The '■ following resolutions were. passed:—

That the Board advise the Education Department that it will take all possible means to conserve the resources of the college, and will make as few demands as possible on the Education Department until .financial conditions improve. That the proposal ,to reduce the age for free tuition to 17 years will result in turning many young people out of the technical high schools before " they have positions to go to, and thus produce much juvenile unemployment, to the physical and moral detriment of our young people. It will also affect very seriously many students in the evening classes. That the proposals to increase the fees in the accountancy classes in the evening school are. uncalled for, seeing that the fees now charged are comparable with those charged by a number of private commercial schools run for profit. Further, the accountancy classes in our evening school are providing instruction in this work for free students and others who otherwise could not afford to take up these studies.

That the fee*. proposed for proficiency and senior free place certificates will discourage many pupil* from completing their education. That the proposal to abolish free railway tickets for pupils attending post-primary schools should be revised, and that parents should not be asked to pay more than half of the cost.

That the discontinuance of university bursaries -will, prevent most technical high school students from proceeding to university studies. That the proposal to abolish the Board system and to centralise all authority'in Wellington should be opposed/ as the change would make neither for efficiency nor for economy so far as technical schools are concerned. 'Accommodation at College. The matter of accommodation' for pupils at the college -was also • dealt with. The Buildings Committee icported that it would be necessary to provide two more class-rooms unless the Board turned away three classes of. pupils enrolled in the Technical High School. *- . In view of the urgency.of the matter, the Board decided to proceed at once with the erection of two rooms. As an application for a grant for'the. erection of the rooms had been held over by the Education Department, the -Board authorised payment of. part of the coat to be made from ■ the Agricultural Classes Development Fund, the repayment of the amount borrowed to be made as a first charge on any surpluses of the Board. N