School Milk Poll 'Frustrates’ Minister

Press, Volume C, Issue 29554, 1 July 1961, Page 10

School Milk Poll 'Frustrates ’ Minister

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 30. “Really frustrating,” said the Minister of Education (Mr Tennent) tonight when asked to comment on the milk-in-schools questionnaire circulated to school committees by education boards on his behalf.

Mr Tennent released detailed figures showing that 965 committees favour the present or a modified scheme for milk in schools, 169 are against, and 71 are indefinite. Returns were received from seven boards and from Maori schools. There are no figures for Southland, where the milk-in-schoois scheme ceased before 1949, or Wanganui, where the standard questionnaire was not used, or for Hawke’s Bay. where the board discontinued the scheme from the beginning of this school year. Almost 25 per cent, of the committees consulted failed to reply. The Minister said it had been decided to make a complete survey on a nation-wide basis because of the need to examine carefully all Government expenditure and because of the Hawke’s Bay Education Board’s decision. Mr Tennent said he had for long heard criticism of the scheme in educational circles and had hoped to obtain a true over-all expression of opinion. Unfortunately, these hopes had been dashed to the ground when at least two interested parties, the New Zealand Milk Board and the New Zealand Council of the Federation of Home and School and Parent-Teacher Associations had carried out intensive publicity intended to influence the result. The council had sent a circular to school committees and home and parent-teacher associations which stated one

side of the case and urged: that those bodies circularise! parents. The Milk Board, was not without blame, for! it had indulged in an intensive publicity campaign i giving.only its side of the! position. Mr Tennent said he was! most grateful to the education boards and those school com-! mittees and tihe very large I number of parents who had! co-operated in completingl the survey. Some parents had even forwarded the replies to ’ the Minister himself. The Minister said he felt, regrettable though it was, 1 after giving the various figures the closest study, that! very little value could be attached to the result. In spite of the shortcomings, he was publishing the figures for what they were | worth, since there appeared! to be a demand for them in certain quarters. The figures! were as fallows:— i Auckland Education Board:! Consulted, 231: number of re-: plies received to March 31. | 220; numbers of replies not received, 11; number in favour of present or a modified scheme, 207; number against. 13; number indefinite, nil. ! South Auckland: 319. 240, 79. 187. 49. 4. Taranaki: 121, 97, 24, 64, 28. 5. Wellington: 224. 143, 81, 111. 13. 19. Nelson: 70. 37, 33, 30. 4. 3. Canterbury: 311, 211, 100. 159, 33, 19. Otago: 165, 129. 36. 91. 22. 16 Maori Schools: 155, 128. 27. 116, 7, 5.