IS IT WORTH WHILE?

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 218, 10 June 1926, Page 6

IS IT WORTH WHILE?

THE COUNCIL OF EDUCATION SUGGESTED WIDENING OF SCOPE The present Advisory Council of Education was established on the recommendation of a Commission on Education by the Massey Government, the Minister of Education at that time being Sir James Allen. A minority report of that commission recommending the establishment of an administrative council of education was disregarded. At the meeting of the Council of Education yesterday, Mr. J. R. Kirk, who was a member of the commission, referred to and opposed an administrative council, brought up the question before the Minister of Education (Hon. R A. Wright) left the room. He said that while the commission recommended the establishment of the existing Council of Education, the ideal behind tliat was not only a council which met once a year, but one which acted in a consultative as well as an advisory manner. If they looked down the order paper he felt .-sure they must ask themselves, “Is it worth while ?” Most of the matters on the order paper were really questions for the Education Department, and it was worth considering whether it was worth while calling members from their homes for the business placed before them on that occasion. He was sure that all the members were most willing and anxious to do everything they could for education. The Massey Government had come into office during the investigations of the commission he had referred to, and concluded that it was right to establish a Council of Education which should be a consultative body, and that they should keep nv with educational progress in other lands. He asked the Minister whether such an important matter could not be given his serious consideration, for he felt they could be of much greater service to him and to the Government. It would be worth while to ascertain whether a way should not be devised which would bring the council more into touch with the Minister, who would then get reports on matters they could hardlj’ give him under present conditions. He most sincerely believed that he was not rendering the service he ’felt he could give under otlur conditions. He believed he was expressing the opinion of everybody there in what he had said He also thought the Minister should always he present during their deliberations. He would like, further, to say that he believed in more stress being laid upon technical education, which he thought had never reached its objective. He understood that a new body was to be set up in connection with technical education, and he believed the council should be strengthened by representatives on the technical side. The Director of Education (Mr. J. Caughley), who presided, said that he desired to remove a wrong impression Mr. Kirk had created in regard to the order paper. If anything of importance was not on the order paper it was the duty of members of the council to send in remits for consideration. An invitation to do that was sent out. Mr. Kirk said he could not advise the Minister on matters of policy, because he did not know what the polk was. The matters referred to the council by the Department were purely departmental, and he, along with other members, were responsible for other items on the order paper. Mr. Caughlev said that he believed that prior to that meeting there had been quite a number of policy subjects down for consideration, especially the question of post-primary education. The Department had submitted matters of policy at every other meeting. Owing to the change of Ministers and the speaker’s absence from the Dominion, it was impossible to do that for the present meeting. Mr. J. H. Howell considered that in view of the fact that a secondary schools board and a technical schools board were being constituted, and the University Senate was to be altered by law, 'the question of a primary schools board should also be gone into. The Hon. R. A. Wright said that he thought it would be advisable for the Minister to attend the proceedings of the council, but it was not easy to arrange that. He would ascertain what he could do on a future occasion, and hoped that he would be able to attend some of their discussions.