A VERY LARGE ORDER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 228, 21 June 1920, Page 4

A VERY LARGE ORDER

demand joe school hostels

By Telegraph—Frees Association, Christchurch, Juno ID. Replying to various deputations today, tW Hon. C. J. Parr (Minister of Education) said that he had received requests for 52 now hostels from' Auckland to the Bluff, and that the average cost would he at least -220,000. A million of money could be spent—and ho did not say spent unprofitably-in hostels in. New Zealand, but he, did not think that at tlio present time- the country could stand that expenditure for hostels. All over the country they had not room in the schools for tho children who wished to attend. They needed more primary schools—extension of the present buildings, and'scrapping of 'those that were old and worn-out. The Department was not turning down tho question of hostels, although it could not look at all of tho applications just now. Ho had askod the Director of. Education to make out a list of tho eight most urgent cases; then he would see what tho Government could do with these. After the first eight had been built, they would look to the second plght, and if he remained in office they might havo nil in eight or ten years' time. . The suggestion that there should do easier admittance to high school training for the young fanners of the future merited consideration. He did not wish to make the. entranoe test harder—indeed, his. inclination was altogether the other way. He wanted •to keep every boy, however dull, at Echool up to the age of 15. Then something could be "knocked into" the boy. In that extra •vear tbev could do more for the lads than earlier. That was the time for tho teaching of hißtory, civics and economics, so that tho children would not fall an easy prey—as so many of tho half-educated did t<Mlay-to the soapbox orators with their unsound doctrines. . . , Education was not being earned far enough in this oountry for the safety of. the democracy. , The worst thing that could happen in any country was to have an illiterate democracy or a halfeducated democracy. Tho thing that was going to keep New Zealand a safo and proper place to livo in was tho education of the people along safe and sound lines. That could not be adequately done under the education system as it was at present. He would bo glad to place beforo Cabinet the requisition of tho Canterbury' College Board of Governors for a grant of .£35,000, and for an increase In the annual grant to tho School of Engineers. He proposed to ask Cabinet to consider favourably reasonable provision for school engineering. The Minister expressed his appreciation of the agitation by qualified engineers to ensure that engineering in NewZealand should bo done by _ engineers. Unfortunately, much of It in the past 1 had been done by "botchers and bung- ■ lens" and the public, had had to pay i tho cost.