SCHOOLS’ COUNCIL MAY LOSE POWERS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29931, 19 September 1962, Page 14

SCHOOLS’ COUNCIL MAY LOSE POWERS

If certain recommendations of the Commission on Education on school administration are adopted, the Christchurch Post-Primary Schools’ Council may be shorn of most of its functions. This fear was expressed at the council's meeting last evening, when it was said that it might become just a voluntary organisation of secondary schools clubbing together for secretarial and accounting services.

Doubt as to the need for. and value of. the commission’s recommendations was expressed by council members. “We flatter ourselves that we are already doing a very useful and extremely efficient service,” said Professor G. Jobbems, the deputychairman. The Commission on Education had recommended the setting-up of a district secondary schools’ board, to consist of at least one representative from the 40 or more secondary schools throughout the Canterbury education district and the existing Post-Primary Schools’ Council, said the chairman (Mr W. J. Cartwright). This district board would apparently absorb many of the functions of the present council. For instance, it would exercise general supervision during the building of new schools, and would appoint the first principals and staff. There would also be a district council of education, the main function of which would be to advise the Education Department, and its Minister, on future needs for new schools, including the acquisition of sites, and to comment and make recommendations on any matters relating to education in its district as it saw fit. Members were critical of the large size of the proposed district secondary schools'

board—the district stretched from Kaikoura to the Waitaki and included the West Coast. "It’s just terriffic,” said Mrs F. O. Bennett. » “Big travelling expenses,” said Mrs C. H. Perkins. “We’U need a town hall to get them all in,” said the secretary (Mr P. J. Halligan). The proposed board was clumsy. Professor Jobbems said, and over it would be a still more clumsy district council of education. “It seems that our function would be merely to provide secretarial services through Mr Halligan's office,” he said. Dr. C. D. Ellyett said that the Post-primary Schools’ Council seemed to be a slight anomaly in the commission’s scheme. “Rather than wipe us out, it has made it so we won’t expand, and can later be absorbed," he said. The proposals were also described as a take-over by the Education Department. “They are practically the submissions of the department,” said Mr A. Greenwood. Mr E. F. Wilde: It might just as well have written them. The doubts of council members will be taken by Mr Cartwright and Professor Jobbems to an executive meeting of the New Zealand Secondary School Boards’ As. sociation in Wellington next week. “Some members of this council have had long and varied experience of postprimary school administration, and their thinking on this matter should be of importance nationally," said Mr Cartwright.