Inspectors slate proposed education cuts

Press, 9 March 1982, Page 2

Inspectors slate proposed education cuts

A proposal by the Minister of Education (Mr Wellington) to reduce the number of school inspectors was condemned yesterday by the president of the Association of Inspectors of Schools, Mr Colin Knight, and the Social Credit Political League’s spokesman on education (Mr Richard Bach). Mr Knight said that any reduction in the number of inspectors would be bad for education. Part of an inspector’s job was to make sure that schools did not waste public money. If all of New Zealand’s 140 school inspectors were made redundant, only 0.01 per cent of the education budget would be saved.

The inspectors , were responsible for seeing that educational standards were maintained. The association was concerned about that role being given a low priority, by Mr Wellington when

the public was worried about the quality of education. The inspectors did an essential job: they advised principals and teachers and mediated in disputes involving school boards, principals, teachers, parents, and children. The number of inspectors in regional teams had already been cut by 12 per cent'in.the last five years. Mr Bach said that if reductions in education spending were necessary, and Social Credit did not believe that they were, then the reduction should be 3 per. cent of the 10 per cent allocated from tbe education budget for capital works. This would safeguard nonmaterial aspects of education. Education’s economic worth was greater than that of any other resource because it tapped human “productive capital.” The world’s, richest nations - were those with the most-advanced skills. Mr Wellington said in a written statement yesterday that he had earmarked capi-tal-works programmes for spending reductions, reports the Press Association. He would ensure that essential programmes were safeguarded. i. Some Education functions could be reduced without impairing education.