School Committee Elections

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27636, 18 April 1955, Page 10

School Committee Elections

The biennial elections of school committees, which will take place at householders’ meetings throughout Canterbury and Westland this 1 evening, involve nearly 2000 seats in the district of the Canterbury Education Board. This figure is an impressive reminder of the hundreds of parents and others who undertake without reward a service that is essential in the local administration of education. There are about 300' State primary schools in the area. The definition of householders as persons resident in the school district for the preceding three months properly implies that the educational welfare of children is a responsibility not restricted to parents. Even so, it has often been disheartening to find a mere handful of persons at householders’ meetings, which are held at two-yearly intervals; and frequently there has been difficulty in filling all the places on the school committees. Happily, that is now a rare occurrence. The resurgence of public interest in schools is marked in nearly every New Zealand community. Between the waiting lists for admission to kindergarten and the uncertainty of entry to a chosen secondary school, the primary school has gained first attention of parents with young families.

In keeping pace with growing numbers, the Education Department has had to concentrate on the provision of extra primary classrooms

and completely new schools. Possibly it was this race against numbers that first drew parents’ interest. School committees which had had little support for years suddenly found solid backing for their representations for more accommodation. As the committees, the Education Board, and sometimes the Minister of Education himself explained the scope of the problem to local groups, there came a closer understanding and a unity of purpose. The parentteacher association movement has become one of the strongest in the country. The Canterbury School Committees’ Association has received such impetus that subbranches are being formed in the Amberley and Ashburton” districts, and others are proposed in upper North Canterbury and in the Burn-haip-Hororata area. The willingness of the Canterbury Education Board to take school committees into its confidence is a healthy development. The board itself has drawn most of its members from the committees and is well aware of the importance of local groups being fully informed. To this end it promoted legislation to amend its ward boundaries to secure more equitable representation. The Education Board elections last year had more nominations than ever before and voting was heavy after several meetings attended by up to 80 committee delegates. All this showed the unprecedented interest in the schools. The newly-elected board members have visited all parts of the district to see for themselves local requirements. The accelerated primary school building programme has eased the pressure on accommodation in the main centres; but there are still insistent demands for the improvement of older schools, and especially for more attention to those in the country. The growth of school support in the country has been an outstanding development jn the last two years. There should be few misgivings about attendances at meetings this evening. By their presence, parents and othets can show their appreciation of the service offered by those who have already been nominated, learn the needs of their own schools, and perhaps - contribute ideas for their advancement.