Integration delay seems likely

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33869, 14 June 1975, Page 14

Integration delay seems likely

There seemed little hope that any legislation? would be passed this year to integrate private schools with the State sector, the State aid spokesman for the Post! Primary Teachers Asso-' ciation (Mr G. Warner) said yesterday. Mr Warner, who is also I the president-elect of the; P.P.T.A., said from Auckland? that the Minister of Educa-I tion (Mr Amos) had done everything in his power to? I see that the integration pro-; posals. which might cost as? much as s2sm, would be! passed through Parliament | this year. “If there had been some energetic political pressure I from the top — and that, means the Prime Minister and the Cabinet — then we could have had this matter tid ; ed up by the end of October." Mr Warner said. The Prime Minister <Mr Rowling) seemed intent on ' retaining State aid and inte- , gration as two separate problems while Mr Amos sawi; I them as one. r

■ It seemed most likely that lithe Government would take J the easy way out and grant ’jail private schools a 121 per 'cent increase in State aid which would bring them up ito a total of 50 per cent State laid as promised by the Government in 1972. ' “Even though the legislation for integration is now with the law draftsmen and? the Department of Education | has all matters cleaned up. there seems little hope of us ; seeing any legislation this | year.” I It was significant. Mr: ?Warner said, that the Roman; I Catholic Church hierarchy! ?had made no public state-! Iments supporting integration' (even though there had been? support in principle from the negotiators for the Roman, iCatholic Education Council. i "Frankly. I’m disappointed with the attitude of the Roman Catholic people, as we had expected so much: from them. The question to ask now is whether they are .allying themselves with the elitist private schools behind the scenes while making public noises about being in. favour of integration," Mr iWarner said. I: