CHANGES IN SYSTEM

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 94, 22 April 1931, Page 11

CHANGES IN SYSTEM

MINISTER'S EXPLANATION

■ An explanation, of. the provisions of tlie Finance BUL; (No. 2) so far as they affect the'education system of the Dominion was given by the Minister of Education iv the House of Representatives last night. The Minister spoke strongly in favour of unification of the control of education, both in the interests of efficiency and economy.

' Iteferring to the proposal to abolish the Council- of Education,, the Minister snid that the council consisted of men and women of high qualifications, but they wero without power.' Members of the council had themselves discussed the advisability of abolishing the council, and. he did. not think !thero t would be any objection to tho. course the Government was. taking. ' There was no reflection on members of the council. In reference to the ' power that was being taken to close schools in certain cases, of emergency, the Minister explained that.the necessity for this had arisen, out of the Hawkes Bay earthquake. Regarding the consolidation of schools, there was a number, of grade 0 schools with only six pupils; and it was desirable that there > should be power to close them. Similar '• power had been'taken in almost every part of the Empire, and it was in the interests of .efficiency as well, as economy. Provision was' also being made in the Bill that boards should have discretionary powers iii the matter of appointing married women teachers. At present boards were .bound by .the grading niarks'of teacher's,'but under the Bill boards /would' have to. depart from that, with the approval of the senior inspector. Every year they had a large number of teachers who were unable to. ,flnd employment .in the. first part of the year, and this was being aceontuated now. by reason of the fact that it was not possible, in the interests of economy, to continue breaking down the. large: classes.', " Referring ;.to the proposal .to. abolish scholarships, the Minister - explained that it[ was. pro- ; posed to institute-a system of bursaries for children who wero in necessitous cases and would find, it; ; difficult to continue their secondary school; education. The rights of present holders of scholarships were; being safeguarded. . The Minister said .that provision was being made for "unification of .control of secondary and', technical' schools. i ThisI'was; one of tlie: ways: in >vhich they could get' economy and "efficiency at the sairio .time..; There had been ,a . movemenfc in favour of unification of control :in'" yai-ious parts of; tlie'/Dominion^ '"" / :;; '■.■■''■: -:' ■. , r '- '■'■■{'■-'■-'