ACCUSATIONS DENIED

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29247, 4 July 1960, Page 15

ACCUSATIONS DENIED

Boards’ Reply To Teachers (New Zealand Press Association) NAPIER, July 3. The president of the Education Boards’ Association (Mr W. Smith, of Wairoa) said yesterday he had been shocked to read “irresponsible and mischievous’ ’ statements about education boards made by the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association in submissions to the Education Commission. In a statement, Mr Smith challenged the association to produce details substantiating its claims.

Mr Smith said his association agreed with the teachers’ organisation that the district high school system was the poor relation of educational policy in New Zealand. But he said he wished to contradict accusations that education boards were deliberately stopping the creation of full post-primary schools for selfish interests. “Our boards are responsible organisations which carry out Government policy to the satisfaction of the people,” he said. “We aim to provide only the .very best in our education system.” “I challenge the teachers’ association to produce details of the so-called 'instances’ to the Education Commission and to my association so that the true facts may be known,” said Mr Smith.