“UNFAIR REPORT”

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 256, 25 July 1930, Page 13

“UNFAIR REPORT”

Education Committee STRONG WORDS Next Step a Dictatorship Dominion Special Service Auckland, July 24. “We are not here to condemn the report of the Parliamentary Committee of Education,” said Mr. A. Burns, chairman of the Auckland Education Board, at a special meeting this morning, which was called to consider the report. “We, however, take exception to several side-issues, and the chief of these is the proposed change in administration. The Government proposes to take it from local control and to hand it to the central authority at Wellington. “The part that seems unfair,” Mr, Burns continued, “is that allegations and comparisons have been made by the head of the Education Department, and those who have voluntarily given their services in the cause of education have not had a chance to reply. If the report is true we should assist the change, but we feel that it has not been a fair report and the proposed change has been decided on solely on the advice of Mr. T. B. Strong, Director of Education, who tried to do the same thing three years ago. Unpopular Scheme. “At that time,” continued Mr. Burns, “we were tried behind closed doors, and it raised such a storm of indignation that the scheme was abandoned. The opportunity has now been taken, however, to reintroduce the scheme, and it is likely to go through because members of Parliament will not jeopardise their seats by voting against it.” “If” said Mr. Burns, speaking about the new bodies, “I did not know that the report had been written by two members of the staff of the Education Department ■ I would have thought that it had been written by Mark Twain when it talks of the dignified and important place the boards would occupy in the new system. Everything is to be taken away from them.” Example of Red Tape. The protest against the alleged overlapping by boards was met by Mr. Burns with an example of what he referred to as a “glaring example of red tape.’ He was referring to the appointment of a head teacher for the Kowhai Junior High School. To appoint the teacher the board had to refer to the senior inspector of primary schools; he passed it On to the chief inspector, and it then went on to the Education Department, finally returning to the board. “If that is not overlapping I would like to know what is,” he added, A resolution moved by Mr. King that the report of the committee proposing centralised control of education was not in the best interests of New Zealand, and that it would deny to the people the right of electing those whom they wished to govern education, was carried unanimously. It was also decided to ask school committees in the district for their support. Mr. Snell gave his support to Mr. King’s motion. Next Step a Dictatorship. “The next step will be a dictatorship, and then we will be reduced to Serfdom, he said. „ ~ Mr. Burns: Mussolini! “We should bring the whole question before tlie politicians. They do not want to filch the rights from the people, added Mr. Burns. . „ , Messrs. A. Burns, T. U. Wells and the secretary were appointed the board s delegates to a conference of education boards to discuss the whole question. Mr. Burns pointed out that delegates’ expenses would have to be paid out of unauthorised expenditure. “Oh, I’ll put in my whack,” said Mr. Banks. .