ECONOMIES IN EDUCATION.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20523, 16 April 1932, Page 16

ECONOMIES IN EDUCATION.

decisions OF CABINET. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (pn*«« mociATio* tilbobau-) PALMERSTON NORTH, April 15. The Government's decisions in regard to the recommendations of the Economy Commission as they affect primaryeducation were announced by the Minister for Education, the Hon. R. Masters, in the course of a speech at the reopening of the Central School this afternoon. , "One of the first recommendations of the Commission "was that all subsidies should, be cut out, as a general principle for this year. I am afraid we will have to do it not because we do not appreciate what has been done by the public in regard to the finances of the schools, but because of the country's position. The cutting out of the subsidy is merely a temporary measure. The recommendation that the 'School Journal' be charged for, as a further levy on school committees, was not agreed to by Cabinet, and it will bo given free as formerly. As a result of the reorganisation of the printing and general administration of the 'Journal,' I have been successful in reducing the cost from £7OOO to £4500. Manual Training. "The Commission recommended that a number of manual training centres should bo cut out. lam not guing to agree that they should be cut out in the country and not in the cities. If economies are to be effected I will not let them be effected at the expense of any one school and then at the expense of the people as a whole. In rc-. Kpoct of the conveyance *>f children to schools, regarding which the Commission recommended that the amount should be cut down by £50,000, this would be a distinct hardship on children in country districts and it is proposed that there should be economies as far as possible without laying down any fixed amount which should be curtailed. Regarding the conveyance of post-primary children th 3 recommendation was that they should not be carried free on the railway. The object of the Government, is to ereato economies, but to dispense with free railway facilities for secondary pupil# is not real economy, and the Government came to the conclusion that it could not accept the recommendation of the Commission. All children going to secondary schools' will bq entitled to free railway travel as in the past. "As regards the abolition of Education Boards, no decision has been come to on this recommendation because I thought it undesirable until tho primary Boards and secondary Boards had an opportunity of meeting in conference and submitting their views. In the meantims the matter is held over. capitation. . "Because of my experience of the work of school committees, I cannot accept the recommendation that there should be a reduction in the capitation to school committees. I appreciate the amount of special effort made by committees throughout the Dominion, and it would be want of encouragement if the Government did anything in the nature of reducing the capitation paid to them. The Commission jreeommended that we should do away with free books in necessitous cases, but we are not proposing to cut out the grant that has been made previously. lam afraid wo will have to reduco the amount for the maintenance of buildings. Owing to the fine work of the Education Boards we are able to cut out £22,000 of the maintenance grant. The Com-: mission recommended a charge of 2s fid , on ail candidates for proficiency certi- } fleate», ; but thisih» Gflvfcrtiment eannQt see its way to accept. A recommendatlon' was made thta all sewing grants amounting to £3OOO should be stopped for the time : being. I think mothers will have to take a greater interest in teaching their girls to sew, because I propose to cut out the grant for a year at least. In coming to the conelur sions we have it has not given us any pleasure,'' Further Decisions. In a subsequent interview Mr tors made reference to further decisions of the Cabinet. IV was proposed; to adopt the Coinmlssion's - recommendation that primary school boarding allowances bo . cut out. In regard to small (Grade. O) primary schools, the Commission reoommended that these be cut out, hut it was proposed that each case should be dealt with on its merits. The special capitation for science classes in primary schools would be discontinued. A saving of £IOOO had been recommended in regard to handwork material, and this had been agreed to. The recommendation that the grant for agricultural education should be cut down, was still under consideration;-"