State Aid Warning To Schools

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30130, 14 May 1963, Page 14

State Aid Warning To Schools

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 13. He felt it was rather unwise of independent schools to claim State aid as a right, said the headmaster of Sydney Grammar School (Mr C. Healey), at a conference of the Association of Heads of th e Independent Schools of New Zealand (Inc.) in Wellington today.

Mr Healey was a guest speaker at the conference which is being attended by about 100 members from schools throughout the country and representing 19.000 pupils, or 17 per cent of the post-primarv population.

The chairman of the conference is Mr H. B. Hornsby, headmaster of Christs College. Himself chairman of the

New Soutn Wales Association of Independent Schools, Mr Healey said that independent schools—“we most avoid being called private schools"— should be wary of complacency

In Australia, independent schools were beginning to think they had been too modest in the past and hugged too much to themselves, avoiding the public eye. The topic of State aid had convinced them in the last year that they should bring t.ie discussion before the public.

In New South Wales the Church of England had vigorously opposed State aid. he said, perhaps because the Roman Catholic church had demanded it as a right. "I believe that State aid for independent schools is desirable. but controversy has presented a picture of division which belies the harmony existing among headmasters of the schools.” State aid as a matter of justice brought about unfair

discussion and he had seen this happen in this country The real question to be considered was whether independen' schools themselves were desirable, whether they were good schools.

“But that pleases . nobody, because it is a moderate view.” he said. “But we in Australia believe that it is time for a public statement to be made presenting the true picture of independent schools.” As Christian schools—not all Roman Catholic as so many persons believed these schools made the education of students utterly valuable. In them the person was of supreme importance and there was protection of the individual character of each. Public institutions found this impossible to preserve. Hi; own school, founded in 1854. had been dedicated to the advancement of religion and morality in New South Wales, although it was undenominational. Independent schools were good schools, in fact some of them wer r among the best in the Commonwealth, Mr Healey said.