EDUCATION CUTS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 169, 13 April 1932, Page 8

EDUCATION CUTS

Views of Second ary ___ School Boards DELEGATES CONFER Nearly 40 delegates from secondary school boards attended a conference in Wellington yesterday to consider the recommendations of the National Econ omy Commission in reference to economies In secondary education. Dr, G. E. Thompson, Otago, presided. Decisions were reached in. reference to the tenure of junior and senior free places, and in favour of stiffening the examination for free places at the end of the primary school period. Reduction in Capitation. The Economy Commission recommended that the capitation allowance of £2 per pupil for incidental expenses be reduced to 35/-. The view was expressed that the conference should know more as to the precise nature of the education cut as a whole. The conference could make a constructive suggestion that a drastic cut in the number of free places in the schools was the only way in which they could bring about a substantial reduction in costs. Mr. R. 8. Boddington, Wairarapa, said the reduction amounted to £25 per hundred pupils, and some of the boards would no doubt be able to come back on the general funds. He thought it would be a wise policy to carry on with smaller grants for two or three years. Mr. G. Mitchell, Wellington, .thought they should have a report showing the effect of the reduction on smaller boards. The Minister would then be able to judge if the smaller boards could carry on. If the department could not carry on with the reduction it would be impossible for the boards to do so. The conference approved of the reduction of the capitation allowance to 35/- as a temporary measure, providing provision is made in the new regulations for the smallest schools, and that the junior high schools attached be not affected. Free Flace •Examinations. A recommendation by the Commission was that there should be a more rigid system of examination for both junior and senior free places and a weeding out of those who, after q reasonable time, disclosed that they were failing to benefit by their post-primary opportunity. The chairman said the Otago board felt that there were pupils in the secondary schools who did not possess the capacity for such work. There no employment for the children if they were deprived of free places, said Mrs. Barrel.-, Masterton, who added that they were the children mostly in need of education. Such, a proposal meant that they would be thrown bn to the streets at a most critical stage of their lives. Mr. C. A. Bull, Gisborne, expressed the opinion that many pupils would be better if they remained in the sixth standard for another year, which would be more helpful to them in/their avocations in life. The conference agreed with the more rigid selection of free place holders by a stricter examination at the close of the primary school period. The conference also discussed lhe proposal that the tenure of junior and senior free places be reduced by two years, the free place terminating at the end of the year in which the pupil reaches the age of 17 years instead of 19 years as at present. Various views were expressed. Some delegates thought ‘that by remaining at school until 19 many pupils went beyond the period when they could get into certain avocations which would have taken them in at 16 or 17 years of age. Wliat was the use of keeping them at school until 19 if it. had the result of shutting them out of the best avenues of obtaining a living? Other delegates contended that only the brightest pupils remained at the school until 19 years of age, and to adopt such a recommendation as that put forward by the Commission might, lose the boards’ most promising material. There was the fact that after the first year or two the advice of the principal was usually followed as to whether it was worth while for a,pupil,to remain on for a further period. The discussion resulted in a resolution being carried recommending the retention of the 19 years of age limit.