CRITICS CRITICISED

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 11, 12 July 1912, Page 3

CRITICS CRITICISED

AND FURTHER CRITICISM EOUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE BOARDS MR. PIRANI AND SIR EDWARD GIBBES. A reply to the criticisms passed by various education boards ' on the Education Department through many years, under which the Department, by reason of its. position, had to lemain silent, was made by Sir Edward. Gibbes, Secretary of Education, before the Education Commission yesterday. He endeavoured to show, by # a long series of examples,' in which the extravagance of boards had been exposed or checked in the building of schools, how necessaiy it was that there should, be a Department to keep a tight rein over tho financial operations of education boards. There was no antagonism between the Department and tho boards except so far as the interests of the Department were greater and. more national. "So long as the Government has to provido tho funds," ' said Sir Edward, "there can be no slacken ing of control, and tho boards must be satisfied to have it so. The system is inevitable, and, as far as can bo expected, it has fulfilled its purpose, but it is beyond roason irritating and laborious, and certainly no Minister who has any lengthened experience of it can fail to be driven to the conclusion that it must be remedied. It may be asked why tho boards themselves have not proposed a remedy. The concern is vitally theirs, and they, beyond all others, are in a position to indicate the necessities and the essentials. To on© who can review the educational history of the past thirty years the answer to plain: The boards are incapable of taking a national view of any question. Each board acts at. though its particular corner were an independent otate. The result of th« first half-century of their administration ! ira 3 tho deplorable condition of teachers' salaries, that had -to be rectified- by withdrawing from manipulation of the hoards about 80 per cent, of their income. Some years later, State action was again called for in tho case of the superannuation scheme, that united action by the boards might have established a generation earlier. And they are still shut up in their walls, and unable 'to see -what lies beyond. There are indications now that the wave of a national education service is preparing to overwhelm them, and after that there will be not much left for the boards to do. WITNESS TAKEN TO TASK. To Mr. Pirani : By ■ manipulation he had no intention to attribute embezzlement or anything of the sort. Before the colonial scale, boards had large sums of money to handle. He did not mean that there had been maladministration. In 1896 only about £3 15s per head 1 ; now nearly double that amount per pupil' was paid to the board*. Mr. Pirani : Was not the inequality of salaries before the colonial scale due to the iact that some boards had to build schools out of their capitation allowance, and other 'boards' had already their school buildings? Sir Edward Gibbes : Yes, that was the case. But the boards never took a national view of -the inequality, nor pointed out tho matter to the Government. The instances of extravagance in applications for schools * • would "amount to about 15 per cent, of the whole number of, applications. There were also instances of boards' underspending grants. Ho. would' not contradict that a certain school was built through political influence. He admitted that the Department had spent £1000 on a Native school near Patea which was not required, arid afterwards the Wanganui Education Board was asked to make use of it.' The Maoris had wanted the school. In the case in question it was largely a political question. The Maoris in that district "were exceedingly indifferent to education. The establishment of that* school was very deliberate. A POLITICAL MATTER. Mr. Pirani : How many children were taking technical subjects when the Government granted £5000 for a technical school ? Sir Edward : I 6hould say about seventy. ' Is nob that another political matter? — I cannot say. 6ir Edward added it was quite probable that most of the residences were empty through unavoidable reasons. Mr. Pirani : Do you know of instances where the Department has refused to allow house allowances to married teachers, where the school has only a single room attached to.it for a residence? Sir Edward explained that until the Government decided generally that such residences should not count as residences tho cases of hardship would continue. He had in mind instances where residences were asked for in the suburbs of larger towns, where the teacher could get accommodation otherwise. The Education Committee of the House of Representatives had decided that in no case would they build residences to schools near towns. A HALL OR A SCHOOL? Mr. Pirani : What about} the case of Horopito, where the Department has refused to provide a school, and children have to be taught in a hall,- which can't be warmed in the winter. Sir Edward : Well, the position is that the Government' built that hall for a school and also for railway purpose*. What, that building for a school? Have you seen it? — No. Is that proper administration? If that's a sample of the buildings put up by the department, well, I am surprised at .your criticism of the boards. GOOD FOR THE GOOSE. Sir Edward said he could not explain why the department had half the cost of tome sites and the whole cost for other sites. Mr. Pirani j Your own regulations provide that the full cost should be provided by the department. To Mr. Davidson: The board condemned the building, demanded house allowance for the teacher, and used the house of a certain echool fora caretaker. Tho agreement with tho board, was that they should pull down the house and get house allowance for the teacher. The Government could recognise only two things — house or house allowance. To Mr. Pirani : Legal expenses was an item in the cost of a »sit© which the boaids should pay. The co*t of asi to wae the cost of the land. Mr. PiTani: But you don't give the price of the land ; you only give Government valuation. Sir Edward : The Government can't do business on any other terms. Mr. Pirani : Don't you think, Sir Edward, you ought to have gone into the other side of the question before attacking in such a way such public bodies as education boaids? A BASIC TRUTH. Sir Edward maintained that there was a baßic truth in hie statement. The only remedy for the building troubles, was local rating, Mr- Pirani: That would be rather hard on boards. What about a lump sum? Sir Edward : Ko, it would not do. To Mr. Kirk : Tho department was -verj, well organised and not over-

staffed. A growing department could never be overstaffed. Th© chief trouble ■was" the lack of experienced men. Mr. Pirani : Is it not overlapping that your department has inspectors to inspect district high schools as well ac our men? I Sir Edward : The Government wants to be assured that the money is being well spent. You think the present department is the most satisfactory? — I think so. ihe Commifisiou adjourned at 6 p.m.