School-use rift growing

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33625, 29 August 1974, Page 2

School-use rift growing

(From our education reporter) WELLINGTON. August 28. The beginning of a rift between the Government and State teachers over the use of schools for community education was evident at the annual conference of the PostPrimary Teachers’ Association today.

The P.P.T.A. is keen to see schools used for community education, as long as this is not a drain on present funds for schools. Many of the proposals for such use were unclear. The issue will have to be clarified by talks between the Government, the Department of Education, and the teachers. In an unusual step, the national secretary of the New

Zealand Educational Institute (Mr J. E. Simmonds), who wrote a report on lifelong education in New Zealand for U.N.E.S.C.O. in 1972. was asked to speak. He received vociferous support; when he suggested that the Government had to be prepared to pay if it wanted community use of schools.

“We must take a firm trade union line on this," he said. “It can’t be expected that people who have a commitment to formal education will do this other for love.” There was a distinct feeling • among teachers that the Government was doing “a raiding job” on New Zealand schools for community education.

All teachers must take a firm line in telling the Government that the schools were there for the use of teachers and pupils and if the Government wanted to go into community education it should make the necessary building modifications, extra staff and extra finance available, Mr Simmonds said.