School Committees Review Problems

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30156, 13 June 1963, Page 15

School Committees Review Problems

Two major problems—the building of schools and the training of teachers —would for some years continue to engage the closest attention of all concerned in the management of the education system, said Mrs G. E. Boyd, president of the Canterbury School Committees’ Association, at the association’s annual meeting last evening. Sixty-one persons attended. Mrs Boyd said housing must be considered with staffing problems and a more vigorous policy adopted. Urgency in the supply of houses for married teachers throughout country districts should also be advocated. Mrs Boyd said that a more active policy should be adopted in bringing older primary schools up to the standard of the new schools. Greater provision should be made, she said, for the modernisation of those older school buildings which had a forseeable useful life. Attention had been drawn to the inadequacy of the grants which school committees were receiving, she said. “There are signs from committees in the Canterbury Education Board’s area that the present grant is insufficient to cover rising costs.” It was her hope that all would work together for tfce sake of the children, in order to surround them with a congenial school atmosphere in which they would thrive. Memorable Tear

Mrs Boyd said the last year had been a memorable one in the annals of the association; the report of the Royal Commission on Education had been released and school committees, with all interested parties, had had the opportunity of accepting or amending any matters which had seriously concerned them for so long.

Membership of the association is now 139. During the

year 11 new committees joined. The association’s executive is to ask the Education Board if it would investigate ways to enlarge the pool of musical instruments held for primary schools to alleviate certain shortages at some schools.

Criticism was made of the cut in financial grants to primary schools in favour of buildings for higher education. Members urged that this trend should be investigated to provide a fairer distribution. The following officers were elected:— President, Mrs G. E. Boyd: senior vice-president, Mr C. W. Memory (Shirley); junior vice-president, Mr S. M. Miller (Clarkville); secretary Mr R. W. Taylor; treasurer, Mr N. W. Burrell (Fendalton); executive, Messrs M. E. Rae (Christchurch East), R. J. McClinton (Woolston), A. J. McDonald (Gilberthorpe), T. Young (Kendal), H. R. Atkinson (Waimairi), Mrs D. A. Duttpn (Paparoa street). Local Body Merger Favoured A merger of the Christchurch Drainage Board and other ad hoc bodies with the city council is favoured by the Christchurch Labour Representation Committee. This was reported by its publicity committee yesterday, when commenting on the increase in the drainage board’s rates. There could be no objections to extensions of the sewerage system or to the principle of consolidating rates, the committee said. However, the board and other ad hoc bodies should have a close look at possible economies if they merged with the council.