‘Rural children penalised’

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33521, 30 April 1974, Page 15

‘Rural children penalised’

Mid-Canterbury far-' mers will press for better school-bus senices, and more funds, for country schoolchildren. At its monthly meeting in Ashburton last week the pro-! vincial executive of the MidCanterburv Federated Farmers unanimously moved that the Education Department be a-ked to investigate the present country bus service. [ In presenting recommendations from the executive's education committee, its> chairman (Mr B. E. Lilli said that some country pupils l were compelled to spend up to three hours a day on a bus, travelling up to 80 miles ■

ia day. This he termed as the ; i “country pupil’s burden.” i The recommendations [suggested that the Govern-j ment increase the grant forj [country bus services so that[ [no child was required to spend more than two hours a! day travelling on the school! bus. Where necessary primary: and secondary transport! should be separated, and re-! mote areas be served by express buses. A suggestion that attention [ be given to heating and I ventilation systems was made also. i An amendment asking the Canterbury Education Board to re-consider its decision to decapitate the county prim-

ary schools within 12 miles of Ashburton, bringing the Form I and II pupils to the Ashburton Intermediate School, was left “lying on the table.”

Supporting the amendment, the committee said that the ill-effect of longer bus travel for an extra two years of country pupils’ school life was the main reason for opposing the move.

The decapitation would also tend to spoil the country school and could even involve some consolidation. Smaller rolls would mean that “top teachers” would not be attracted to the country schools, and standards would decline.

In opposing the amendment, the chairman of the province’s agriculture section (Mr S. J. Morrow) said that any move by the federation at this stage could be considered presumptuous, in that it was the parents’ prerogative to decide whether they wished their children to attend the intermediate school.

Interference at this stage could draw’ feelings of resentment, he said. After a long discussion, delegates decided that considerably more than improved bus services was at stake in the amendment and voted 16 in favour of • letting the amendment lie and 12 against.