Education cuts criticised

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 11

Education cuts criticised

The “sinking-lid” policy on education expenditure was having a detrimental effect on country schools, Mr O. W. Thomas (Oxford) told the provincial executive of North Canterbury Federated Farmers. He said that mileage restrictions placed on special staff meant that country schools were not visited as much as previously, and often departing staff were not replaced. It would be a shame if the work done during the last few years was undone by lack of continuation, Mr Thomas said.

He also questioned the economic sense in some decisions made by the Education Department. A teacher at Oxford had been transferred from the North Island at a cost of $4500 and then a few years later transagain at a cost of $7500. “What a waste,” Mr Thomas said. The executive agreed to write to the Minister of Education (Mr Wellington) giving evidence of anomalies between the standard of rural and urban education since financial restrictions were imposed.