EDUCATION BOARDS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 246, 18 July 1928, Page 3

EDUCATION BOARDS

SUGGESTION TO ABOLISH THEM A STRONG PROTEST "The prescut (says' the chairman of the Wellington Education Board in his annual report) appears to be a fitting occasion for mention of a made last year that education boards should be abolished. I hardly credit that, in . the absence of any public request for administrative change, and in view of the history of New Zealand, its configuration, and its length of 1100 miles, it should be seriously proposed to transfer from the boards, who represent the parents, to a central State Department, located in Wellington, the whole control of primary education. It is true mention was made of increased powers to school committees, but this, as the committees and the Department perfectly well understand, is pure camouflage. A centralised system without representation of the people-and controlled by State officers was desired. How would this suit Auckland and Southland, or, indeed, any district where the people cherish an intense love of education and desire a voice in its control? “Would it be more efficient than the present system, or even equally efficient, and would'it be acceptable to the people? I am satisfied it would hot. Further, I am able to affirm from information in my possession that without any doubt whatever any serious proposal to centralise would meet with the very strongest opposition, the Dominion over, as a control running counter to the principle of sound local interest and control, which have been the strongest factors in the successful working of our New Zealand education system. “I would add that a ktudy of our system of regulations reveals a steady, unobserved progressive transfer of local to central authority; also a great increase of complexity and a progressive advance of the Department into the sphere of local administration. This is accomplished at great and unnecessary cost to the Dominion. “I submit that it should be quite possible to distinguish broadly, on the one hand, the functions of legislation, regulation, determination of policy, belonging of right to the Education Department, and on the other the administrative functions of the board. This was in the minds of the statesmen who framed the Education Act of 1877, and I believe that in the hands of the earnest public-spirited men who cclipose our boards to-day, such clearly defined powers would be wisely and successfully used to the great benefit of education.”