Ultimatum In Rural Education Alleged

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32199, 19 January 1970, Page 3

Ultimatum In Rural Education Alleged

(New Zealand Prats Association) DUNEDIN, January 16. Parents were being presented with a virtual ultimatum —a form one to form six school or nothing—in the present approach to rural education, the national executive meeting of the New Zealand Educational Institute was told in Dunedin today.

"The institute is growing increasingly concerned about the way changes are being made in rural education,” said Mr R. I. Goldsmith, of Kaitaia.

Parents, he said, were entitled to a choice between various types of schools, and the institute deplored the virtual ultimatum being presented.

“The district high schools have in years past made a valued and valuable contribution, but of recent years these schools have been allowed to run down while the department has concentrated its efforts on developing newer types of schools,” he said.

“In particular, the form one to form six school has been promoted without

always proper and thorough examinations of other possibilities being made.” There could be no justification for one type of school to be more liberally staffed, housed and equipped than any other, he said. “The Government must act urgently to ensure that all children of the same maturity receive the same educational facilities, irrespective of where they live or the type of school that they attend,” he said.

There were still many areas of the country where more than equal finance and facilities were needed to ensure equal opportunity. “The country child suffers from greater disadvantages than his city counterpart,” Mr Goldsmith said.