Victorian Examining Education In N.Z.

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30368, 18 February 1964, Page 15

Victorian Examining Education In N.Z.

Delegation of authority from a central education department to regional offices and in turn to primary education boards and postprimary schools’ councils as in New Zealand will be examined this week by the Victorian Minister of Education (Mr J. S. Bloomfield) and his Assistant Director of Education (Mr F. H. Brooks).

Their own education system for half a million pupils in 2400 primary, high, and technical schools is governed entirely from Melbourne.

Primary committees and post-primary councils exist in each school, but their role is almost entirely advisory and on virtually all matters they must refer to Melbourne. Delegation of Authority Mr Bloomfield said a start had been made in increasing the powers of these committees, which had limited authority in spending specific grants and subsidies, but he thought even more could be gained from district offices of his department and district boards handling many local matters.

“Historically, I think our state education system developed later than yours and we then knew where we were going,” said Mr Bloomfield. “Victoria is smaller than New Zealand and 95 per cent of the state is not more than a day’s journey from Melbourne. “But I see no merit in the Minister having to hear representations on Whether Mary Jones can be picked up by a school bus, whether a drain-pipe should be fixed, and a hundred and one other matters.”

Another sphere in which central authority could become bogged down was in buildings. A school committee might recommend an extra room. This was referred to the Victorian Public Works Department for a report and, if this was acceptable, authority was then issued for the Works Department to do the job. Control of the teaching profession was likely to be retained in Melbourne, said Mr Bloomfield. The depart-

ment had control of training, posting, and inspection and this was not a problem. It gave some uniformity of standards and allowed quick transfers to meet any need. He did not think the Victorian Government would countenance the New Zealand system of district board’s advertising for staff and having no authority to direct if there were no takers.

Mr Bloomfield said he had closely studied the report of the New Zealand Commission on Education: he would meet top officers of the Education Department, regional authorities, and district and local boards and committees; but he intended to get down to grass roots and ask the “customers” (parents) for their feelings on the New Zealand organisation.