‘Sidetracking in education'

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34032, 22 December 1975, Page 18

‘Sidetracking in education'

(N Z Press Association/ WELLINGTON. December 21. “The Minister of Education (Mr Gandar) may- not have backtracked on his party’s, policy, but he has certainly sidetracked.” said the Deputy Leader of the Values Party (Ms Cathy Wilson) today. "The Values Party is disturbed by reports quoting the Minister as saying that there would now be *no wholesale amendments* to the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act. He must have known before the election that Catholic schools! were seriously considering in , tegration under the Act, as it was not a secret, and yet if ’here was anything distinc-: tive in his party's education | policy it was the promise to review the act.”

, Values felt there was a [need for amendment, particularly on teacher movement and enrolment procedures. Its principal concern was the position of independent alternative schools whose presence in the mainstream would benefit education generally. Mr Gandar*s stateiment had muddied a picture [that was becoming clearer. The Roman Catholic bishops' statement had helped clarify that picture and Values welcomed this indication of a significant step forward in New Zealand education. Values would like, too, to make public its congratulations of the previous Minister. Mr Amos, as it believed that he would be remembered as one of the better Ministers of Education, not least for his efforts on integration I “We urge the incoming Minister to continue educational development in the : directions set during Mr (Amos’s enlightened tenure iof office,” the statement Isaid.