Opposition To State Aid

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32232, 26 February 1970, Page 22

Opposition To State Aid

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Feb. 25. The Educational Institute yesterday tolc the Cabinet - caucus committee investigating State aid to private schools that it opposec any extension of State aid. the Press Associa tion reports. “The extension of State ai< will lead to a strengthenin; and extension of the private school system with const quent weakening of the Stat, school system.” the institute said. In its submissions to th, committee, the institute sail that a dual system of educa tion led to duplication of fa cilities. and thus to a lesi effective use of public funds In some country areas it re suited in reduced educationa opportunities. “Clearly additional Stat, aid is allowing private school: to increase their services. t< expand facilities to the limi of the aid available, and t<

; create a demand for further :aid,” the institute said. “How 'soon will they be back to ask . I for more"?" i Further State aid, said the I institute, would only accelerd|ate this process, resulting in IS. more private schools, a greater movement of the best ” teachers from the State sere vice, and a growing demand ■d from parents for a private e school education because it woud appear to have a status value. i “This prospect is no fan- ., ,tasy. In many countries a I dual system of education exists with the Sate schools as pl the poor relation.” 'p i It was -clear that the Roman Ip I Catholic Church was experi.encing difficulty in staffing i schools. In many districts lp |some classes had been: and there was the: a ’l prospect of primary education | a ’ also being ended, s® If the parish schools were; ls - to close, and State schools to e- take over all children from a ' private schools, the average increase in annual cost would te be $3.3 million. Is; Many children from parish to; schools could be absorbed lit I into the State system without to I additional teachers or class-

rooms being necessary. For the remainder of' the children, many lay teachers would be available to transfer from the parish schools to the State schools, and classrooms would be available in the closed parish schools. RIGHTS QUESTIONED The right of churches or ’ other institutions to demand ' or receive public funds to ; support the establishment or ' maintenance of schools was open to question, the joint ■ committee was told by the i School Committees’ Federa- ■ tion. The federation, express- > ing “emphatic opposition" to further extension of public i grants to private schools, said • its reasons were basically ’ That substantial additional ‘ aid to private schools , would involve a weaken,1 ing of the presen' State system of education, and , greatly increase the ten- , dency towards a dual system of education: and ■ That such aid would encourI age divisive social influences and so tend to disrupt the homogeneous nature of New Zealand society. “We accept the right of churches or other institutions to establish and maintain schools, but if the rights of democracy are accepted, the right of any such group to demand or receive funds to support any such enterprises is open to question. “Private school authorities are entitled to their views on what constitutes justice, but they should recognise that many others strongly believe that justice is equitably and fully served when the State offers to all its citizens, irrespective of race, creed or class, the same educational facilities and opportunities,” the federation said. 1 The Education Boards’ Association said that it

opposed State aid to indepen- 1 j dent schools. It was dis- 1 s appointed that there had been . - a substantial increase in aid. s' Among the reasons for its ’ • opposition were that already i insufficient finance was allo- | cated for the replacement and , remodelling of older schools, , r and that the payment of part ' I salaries to teachers in inde- ( , pendent schools would estabr lish a principle and could be , the beginning of agitation for t more. 5 It maintained that if further assistance were extended , to these schools they should jbe required to conform to . c grading, accept control of cur- j I ricula, abolish religious instruction in school hours, , and submit to regular inspec- , ' tion. 5 The federation was making I ’ a survey of improvements i . needed to bring schools up i 1 to the requirements of the i ’ primary school building code. ’ The survey to date "had shown 1 that 512.8 m was required on i • State primary schools for re- < I placement and remodelling of I > classrooms, replacement of s toilets and replacement of | 1 teachers’ residences. i “GRAVE" PROBLEMS I f The Welington Roman I ’ Catholic Education Board sub- i i mitted that its financial f affairs were grave. 1 ’ “The gravity of the sltua- < 1 tion is that the board will ’ be unable to finance its 1970 I ! budget, let alone pay back a 1 deficit of $64,000 run- up in < ; the last four years.” ' The continuation of the t : board’s schools was attributed in large measure to the mem- t ! bers of religious orders who t I taught in them. “These i : women and men in the orders 1 receive a meagre allowance i • for their teaching services of i $4OO and $650 a year. ' “The board and the Catho- i lie community are deeply con- i ’ cerned that their compensa- 1 t tion is so small." I