'Educational advance’

Press, 14 May 1982, Page 3

'Educational advance’

PA Wellington .„ Any government which had the money to improve the ratio of police to population should be able to do the same for teachers, the conference was told. “With falling rolls, empty classrooms, and hundreds of unemployed trained teachers, we have a unique Opportunity to make a major educational advance for next to nothing," said the party's spokesman on education, Mr C. R. Marshall.

“We ought now to be reducing class sizes in the junior classes in primary schools. If we can improve police ratios, we can improve classroom ratios,” he said. Mr Marshall attacked the Government for cutting back adult education programmes. But he said Labour’s education policy for last year’s General Election had been too complex. The party would be better served by enunciating more

clearly the philosophic aims, for educatiop and emphasising “a handful of priorities.” The philosophy, and economic policy ought to be clear to all, and should be able to be communicated without, difficulty to the country as a whole, he said. The conference passed remits seeking reductions in class ratios, an increase in the standard tertiary bursary, and the institution of paid leave for adult education.