REFORMATIVE EDUCATION

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27894, 16 February 1956, Page 12

REFORMATIVE EDUCATION

TWO INSTITUTIONS COMPARED INVERCARGILL AND BURWOOD (New Zealand. Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 15. An inquiry into the advantages and disadvantages of the two distinct approaches to reformative education, as shown in the Burwood Girls’ Training Centre, Christchurch, and the Invercargill Borstal Institution, was suggested by the Rev. H. Taepa, of Otaki, at a meeting of the Maori section of the National Council of Churches at Ruatoki today. Mr Taepa was reporting on visits he made to the two centres.

“Burwood, admittedly under the Education Department, compares well with or even excels some of our up-to-date colleges and five-star hotels,” Mr Taepa said. "It has lawns in abundance, a properly-planned ground with such things as hard tennis courts or basketball courts, a large swimming pool, vegetable gardens, tree nursery, and fowl runs from which come something like 100 dozen eggs a day.” Mr Taepa said that Burwood had four buildings, each building signifying promotion, and also a recreation hall and a clinic. In comparison, the mode of supervision at the Invercargill institution. and its general appearance, were an anti-climax.