HOLDING THE BALANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 125, 31 May 1927, Page 8

HOLDING THE BALANCE

There is always a danger, as education control is necessarily* somewhat centralised, that the centres will receive more attention than the remote country districts. The Minister of Education is anxious to correct any tendency of this kind and^ to give to the back-blocks child the best possible education. It would be wrong, however, to assume that the balance has. not been maintained in the pa»t. A casual snrvey might suggest, that the town Ms had all the good thiags—big schools,

strong staffs, and every educational necessity. But a closer inspection would reveal that in many instances the big town school is more unhealthily overcrowded than many country schools; that the strong town staffs have such large classes to control that they can give less individual instruction than is given by many country teachers. These facts must be taken into consideration, and we are perstaded that they are by the Boards and the inspectors who are the expert officers well qualified to hold the balance. Where, possibly, there is the greatest need for readjustment as between town and country is in the provision of higher education. Country children are equally^ entitled with the youth of the town to free places at secondary schools, but many of them are debarred from taking advantage of the privileges because of the expense of living away from their homes. Greater equality of opportunity can be secured only by the provision of scholarships which help to meet boarding costs. This can be done^-only gradually, but it should be kept in mind.