State schools at ‘disadvantage’

Press, 2 June 1981, Page 15

State schools at ‘disadvantage’

PA Wellington 1 The Education’ Boards’ Association is preparing a case to put to the Minister of Education (Mr Wellington) to upgrade State intermediate schools to.the level of newly integrating Catholic urban Form 1 to 7 schools. The association’s chairman, Mr Mervyn Dearsly, said members were con-cerned-about the Ministers, recent decision .to integrate, some ' private schools as Form 1-to’7 when they were next to Stale intermediates. ' He said that because these schools fell under the secondary regulations, they would receive greater staffing and funding advantages than 1 the nearby State schools. “This is not in the spirit of

the Integration. Act,,” Mr Dearsly 'said. > » ■/’• In a bid .to, .“redress the disadvantages” for State schools, the-association was seeking more information on which to build.a case to put to the Minister and the Government. . <

Mr Dearslv reported an increase in the numbers of schools having to supplement the Government grant with parent-raised funds to run their schools.

However,' he said, there were still a .number of schools working with a credit balance and. that some of the difficulties experienced by other schools - went- beyond dayrtb-day-running costs and into, the areas of curriculum and equipment.