“Danger” In State Aid

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30312, 12 December 1963, Page 22

“Danger” In State Aid

(N.Z. Press Association) INVERCARGILL, December 11. The danger in extending State aid to private schools lay m weakening the State system, the rector of the Southland Boys’ High School (Mr L. M. Cornwell) said at the annual prize giving today.

Recent moves to bring religious training in various forms into the State schools amounted to an admission that something valuable in our national life could not be coped with by parents and the Church, and that the advantages of the school, namely compulsory attendance of pupils and trained staff, should be exploited. “Although most postprimary schools reveal the presence of strong religious convictions, while the present sectarian divisions exist the religious training of young people should remain the concern of parents and their

churches." said Mr Cornwell. Throughout the country State schools guaranteed similar education was available, that all children had similar opportunities. The private school system affiliated to churches though it generally was, offered education usually to those whose parents could pay. “So far as I know, only three groups consider their schools as an integral part of their religious system. The danger in extending State aid to private schools lies in weakening the State system to the point where it becomes the system, at post-primary level particularly, for the second best and for the under privileged. “A school like this has little to fear, but others could be crippled," said Mr Cornwell. The State system, planned on a national basis, meeting the needs of a community, and responsible to its community through controlling boards, remained, as it had been for many years, the organisation that performed most efficiently and economically, the major function of educating the young people of the community. "It is high time somebody

grasped this nettle, State aid to private schools—time people generally realised the major issue and did not become emotionally involved in the so-called injustice of some people paying taxation for a service they allegedly do not use. * ‘Considerable aid is already given private schools and most of us pay taxation to finance services we do not use,” Mr Cornwell said. Religious training was the responsibility of parents and the church, not a responsibility of the State, either financially or in the State schools. “It is reasonable to expect parents and the community to meet the problems of their children’s growing up. or their social life outside school hours. “It is not reasonable to sidestep the problems by passing them over to the schools. "My work and the school’s work is to assist in passing on what we consider is valuable in our society, to equip the new generation to assess our valuation, to sift and reject as necessary, and to build their own society, which I hope will be better than our own.”