NEEDS OF SCHOOL COMMITTEES

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27065, 13 June 1953, Page 2

NEEDS OF SCHOOL COMMITTEES

EDUCATION BOARD CRITICISED Criticism of the Canterbury Education Board was expressed at a meeting, called by the Banks Peninsula Branch of Federated Farmers, and held at Duvauchelle recently, at which members of district school committees were invited to air complaints. Mr H. R. Lake, M.P. was present, as were representatives from the eight district committees. A letter was received from the board’s secretary (Mr L. S. P. Butcher) stating that representatives could not attend a meeting called by another body without first consulting committees, which were the agents of the board. Mr T. S. Harcourt (Akaroa District High School) said that the committee had found it a waste of time to ask the board for anything. They had gone direct to the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) and had got results. Mr T. Danks (Pigeon Bay) and other speakers said that they were reasonably satisfied with their treatment by board, but that the board was slow to act. Mr Lake said that the least the board could have done was to attend the meeting. It was discourteous of it not to have advised the secretary of Federated Farmers (Mr M. Kay) until the day before that representatives would not be present. Mr Lake undertook to take up with the Minister of Education (Mr R. M. Algie) the question of new sdhool houses for Le Eon’s Bay and Wainui, of school extensions at Little Akaloa, and of improved access to the school grounds at Duvauchelle. The meeting directed Mr Lake to call the Minister’s attention to the attitude adopted by the board to the meeting.