Integration of schools soon

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33626, 30 August 1974, Page 10

Integration of schools soon

From our education reporter)

WELLINGTON, August 29.

The way will soon be clear to end almost 100 years of division between State and private schools in New Zealand.

Proposals to integrate private schools with the State sector of education are on the brink of being accepted by the two major groups in this area, the State teachers and the Roman Catholic education authorities.

The proposals will affect the future of more than 55.000 children educated in Roman Catholic, State-assisted schools.

While most of the Roman Catholic bishops in New Zealand are in favour of the integration proposals, which contain safeguards relating to the teaching of religion, the Roman Catholic laity, however, has still to approve the proposals. Those schools which choose to integrate with the State will be treated in all respects as State schools al-: though the “distinct character” of many private; schools, particularly Roman Catholic schools, will be respected.

‘Superior’ schools

The one group which is consistently opposed to the proposals is that which represents “abated private schools,” which receive reduced State aid because they have conditions superior to State schools.

Under the integration proposals these schools would

forfeit all State aid if they refused to integrate with the State sector.

Onlv private schools with a substantial independent income would be able to survive without State aid of some kind. i School fees To Roman Catholic parents ' integration would mean the Send of payment of school ■ fees. Roman Catholic (parishes would still have to (raise building funds but the I State would pay for main- ' tenance.

When the State aid conference reconvenes before the end of this year State teachers will present a united stand on the integration pro-* posals, which are supported in principle by the Minister of Education (Mr Amos). ;

The almost certain acceptance by the Roman Catholic Church of the proposals may place the Labour Party in a difficult position. The Labour Party — which has traditionally attracted the suport of the Roman Catholic voters — would find continued State aid to private schools other than Roman Catholic, indefensible in the

eyes of supporters if the Roman Catholic schools become part of the State system.

State aid to private schools (has been a political football (and consistently opposed by | the State teachers’ organisations — the New Zealand Educational Institute and the ; Post Primary Teachers’ Association. The annual conference of ; the P.P.T.A. today gave its • unanimous support to the (united stand being taken by (State teachers on the integration proposal, and wel- | corned the new relationship developing between the Roman Catholic schools and the State schools. Criticism I The conference, however, (was critical of the attitude of some private schools (other (than Roman Catholic) who [did not wish to join the [State system because they | (wish to remain "exclusive.” “They want further extensions of State aid without | any obligations to the com-; munity at large,” said the! P.P.T.A.’s chief negotiator on the integration proposals, Mr G. Warner.

“Any suggestion that these elitist schools can have their share of the traditional education cake and eat it too, is not going to be tolerated,” he said. Great step The Press Association reports that Mr Warner said the integration would be the greatest step forward in New Zealand education for many decades. He is a member of the working party on integration (set up after the conference jon State aid held by the ’Government in May last i year. Mr Warner said the workling party had made tre(mendous progress and there ( were only a few areas of disagreement left. I “Y.ou can’t reverse 97 (years of historical aberration! lin 97 days,” he said. | Integration would come! lanyway, but it was impor-l jtant that teachers had their’ [say in it. Disagreement The chief Catholic spokesman on the working party. Mr J. D. Dalgety, said in Wellington tonight that although tremendous progress had been made, there were several areas of disagreement which were important to the Catholic and other independent school representatives. He said the optimism of Mr Warner suggested that the P.P.T.A. was ready to accept the independent school’s position in these problem areas. “Unfortunately, Mr Warner’s statement ignores that there are two planks to the Government’s policy on State aid,” he said. “One of these is 50 per cent aid for all independent (schools, whether they integrate or not.”

Mr Dalgety said the second plank was the possibility of some form of conditional integration in which the independent school would preserve its special character, but be more closely involved in the State system. “In the end, there will be a choice for each independent school to make, between 50 per cent State aid, and conditional integration.” he said.