EDUCATION BILL

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 71, 25 March 1938, Page 13

EDUCATION BILL

4 WANGANUI ATTITUDE

(Speclaf to the "Evening Post."}

'■" WANGANUI, March 24.

Although the special meeting of tha Wanganui Education Board to con= sider the new Education Amendment Bill was held: in committee, the view 3 of the board were ..outlined by the; secretary, Mr.' G. Boulton, in a special; interview, states .."The. Post's" representative. ''Among other things, tha board' agreed■ with-the principle of unification, but not -with'the proposal1 of an'electorate as framed in the Bilfand proposes to ask that' the present-four-year tenure. should- be retained, with half the members to retire at the; end 61 two 'years.'/' . ' ■/. The board opposed the proposal that primary and' secondary school teachersshould elect one each of their own number; but not to the principle of teachers' electing' representatives , whi) were'-not actively 'engaged in teach--ing. The ■ board.. recommended that the Wanganui post-primary schools should elect two members, the Palmerstpn North schools two members, and the Feilding'Agricultural School'one member. This is oh a basis of one representative per-1000 pupils. It -isintended to ask .that biennial elections be retained. Another clause which did not ■ find favour with, the' board' concerned married women teachers. The board wishes to retain power to refusethe appointment of such teachers at its discretion. .. . . Representatives of the board will attend the meeting of "education boards in Wellington next Wednesday. Mr. I. Newton, principal of ~the. Wanganui Technical College, discussing the Bill, stated that it was extremely disappointing, killing all initiative and degrading the present boards to mere "resting'-'ho^ses ] for ' corresppndence."The Bill, will have, the effect of destroying an efficient system of postprimary education. ■ . . ■ . .