FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21256, 30 August 1934, Page 3

FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

EXCLUSION FROM SCHOOLS REPEAL OF LEGISLATION URGED (special to the peess.) TIMARU, August 29. "That in view of the expressions of opinion obtained at recent meetings of householders throughout New Zealand, favouring the restoration of the optional admission of children at five years of age to the State primary schools, the Minister for Education be urged to repeal this legislation at the earliest opportunity." This remit from the Otago School Committees' Association was unanimously carried at the annual conference of the Dominion Federation of School Committees' Associations at Timaru. Introducing the remit, Mr R. S. Vercoe said that it had been found that parents in Otago were sending their children to sectarian or denominational schools, and there was the danger that State schools might lose these children altogether. The Minister had stated that the elimination of the five-year-old had meant a saving of £IBO,OOO, but the speaker questioned the statement in his own mind, unless the saving had been brought about by dismissing teachers and engaging them at what could be called starvation wages. Admittedly, the salaries of rationed teachers had been raised from £6O to £72, but the Minister had not said that he had received £25.000 from the Unemployment Board to do that. |t seemed that the Minister had taken a definite stand and that he would be hard to move from it. The speaker added that in his district a plebiscite had been taken, resulting in an 85 per cent re- ! instatement of the five-year-old. A dumber of remits from other associations dealing with the question was also submitted. Mr N. A. Ingram (Wellington) said that he was strongly in favour of the reinstatement of the five-year-old. Mr R. 5. H. Buchanan (Canterbury) said that a plebiscite had also been taken in Christchurch, resulting in favour of the reinstatement of five-year-olds. It was agreed unanimously to adopt the Otago remit.