A CRY FROM THE SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 85, 3 January 1918, Page 6

A CRY FROM THE SCHOOLS

APPEAL FOR BETTER CONDITIONS URGENT QUESTIONS BEFORE TEACHERS' CONGRESS' At the conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute yesterday Mr. A. N. Burns,'M.A. (Wellington), moved: "That the institute should endeavour to impress upon the public and the Government the great import-ance-of providing improved educational facilities, and .that the Government be urged during 1918 to provide adequate funds for school buildings, playgrounds, a sufficient number of inspectors to enable the work of advising and assisting teachers to be satisfactorily carried out, medical inspection, free dental treatment for children of the public schools, technical school buildings, compulsory continuation classes, conveyance of children to central schools, additional staffing, and a \Yorkers' Educational Association." Mr. Burns said that he considered the' above remit the most important of tliose that were before the conference. He said that while the institute could get minor concessions from the authorities they had difficulty in getting anything that meant an increased vote. Now was the time to bring before Parliament and the public the need for a

larger vote. Many schools at prcsen ivero overcrowded, ancl, the cducatioi boards were crying out* for greater ex penditure upon school buildings. Dettc: provision for ventilation and heating rt-as required. A .Minister had recentl;, ;alked of a building erected in th< :„ok Islands. It/was considered tc je an ideal edifice for education m tlu sropics. Was there in New Zealanc >ne school that could be pointed to a; ideal? Better drinking fountains ind better desks were among - th dungs needed. A school play;jrouiK ■.hould be a park, so well laid out thai ,lie children would take a pride ia it md so learn to respect public property Phere were too few inspectors act preent, and they had 110 time to study— 10 time to do anything but travel, inipect schools, and dp office woiU. A delegate inquired what practical teps tlie° institute was going to take o got its'recommendations carried out. The secretary said that the executivs vas practically asking the conference or authority to conduct a Dominionvide acitation in favour of enlargement md reform of education. It was prolosed to put before every pubhe ,lie desires and aims of the institute, n an endeavour to enlist such pu )hc lyinpatliy as would compel the Govcrniient to take action. Miss Myers, speaking to the remit, laid that' the schools were teaching lyiriene under conditions that wore no Wienie. A great deal of money had .o be spent upon, remedying evils w mcli rere.the result of the conditions undei vhirh children were being educated. iVould not money be better spent upon ,revention of the evils? The ro rc ashamed of hem« unable to set ,m ixample to the children in the \eiy Matters that were brought under tie ■hi'dren's notice, ns important. in® nonev for the needed reforms must be n the country. , ... Another delegate suggested something n the nature of a "strike for--betu.i onditions." 'l'lie Council' of Education. n si ,id. should threaten to icsign if unds for necessary improvements were iot granted. The remit was carried.