PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20776, 9 February 1933, Page 6

PRIMARY SCHOOLS

♦ COMMITTEES' ASSOCIATION. MEETING OF DELEGATES. The Canterbury School Committees' | Association met last evening, the chairman, Mr S. R. Evison, presiding over a good attendance of delegates. A circular letter was received from the Minister for Education replying to the remits sent to him from the recent conference of School Committees Associations in Wellington. He discussed the remits concerning the price of school books, the entry age of children to schools, the formation of the National Federation of School Committees, the proposed closing of Grade O schools, the stoppage of boarding allowances, the reduction in railway concessions to pupils, capitation, and subsidies, Form 111. classes, the appointment of extra teachers, and proficiency examinations. t Mr Evison remarked that none of those who had taken a special interest, in the renewal of tho contract for school books probably took the Minister's statement on that point as final. The School Entry Age. Mr 0. D.. ,W. .SUeppard (St. Albans) discussed the question of the school entry age and remarked that the Minister had noiv given permission for children to bo enrolled at the beginning of . tho term during which they would reach the age of six. Even so, the position at present, he thought, "was that unfair | competition existed between State f schools and privato schools, and ho held that there ought to be a restriction on [ the school entry ago for privato schools, [ just as there was for State schools. He moved tho following motion: "That this Association draws tho attention of the Government to the drift of children to private schools, where children are enrolled from the ago of five years and where they may remain for the rest of their primary education +o tho detriment of tho district State school in particular or to the educational policy of tho State in general." Mr Sheppard also moved: "That this Association is of tho opinion that where private schools purport to uso the State curriculum and enter their scholars for the proficiency or any other examination controlled by tho Education Department, then such schools should enrol children at the same age as the State schools; that copies of these resolutions be forwarded to tho Prime Minister, the Minister for Education, and the Education Department." Mr J. G. Brown held that if the motion went forward to the Government the Association would only get a polite reminder that the Department's finances were not as good as they might be, and that the more private schools there were the better. . The motions were carried without further discussion. Boys' Employment Committer. The meeting appointed Mr T. W. West to represent the Association on the Boys' Employment Committee, which wrote asking that a delegate be selected. The chairman, in response to a rcquest from the Beckenham School Committee, brought up the question of the withdrawal of tho grants for hand-work equipment- in the primer classes. Mi Sheppard added that it was rumoured that grants for books were also to be withdrawn. . The chairman said the executive would look into the matter and, if it was found that grants for materials and books had been withdrawn, would take action. Consolidated SchoolsMr T. O. Morgan (Tai Tapu) brought up the question of representation on consolidated school committees. The Tai Tapu School had recently been consolidated witli Gebbie's Valley, Motukarara, and Kaituna, but since there were not 100 children attending it there were only five members on the committee, whereas formerly there had been -0 members on the four committees He asked that tho Association should do something to secure better representation for tho various parts of the dis trict. He suggested that tho executive might go into the question and report to the next meeting. This was agreed to.