TOO CENTRALISED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 4, 5 July 1939, Page 12

TOO CENTRALISED

EDUCATION SYSTEM

VISITOR'S CRITICISM

(By Telegraph.) (Special to the "Evening Post.")

NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day,

New Zealand's education system is a little too centralised in the opinion of Mr. Carter B. Storr, 8.A., a Canadian exchange teacher and art authority, who is visiting Taranaki to lecture to teachers.

Interviewed in New Plymouth, Mr. Storr had both praise and criticism for the Dominion's education sj'stem. Since hme had been in New Zealand, he said, he had been impressed more than anything with the enthusiasm of the teachers. "One thing that has impressed me as far as the administration is concerned is the quality of the teachers, both in the country and in the towns," said Mr. Storr. "That is something many countries aim at but not many achieve.

"In criticism, I must say that I think the education system is a little too centralised. Only a few years ago New Zealand was looked on as making an education experiment." Since then, however, there had been a short advance, and then the advance had stopped and the system remained at that stage. That seemed to be stagnation to some extent, and that was because with centralisation there was only one authority. It was small groups that were able to advance educationally. New Zealand had possibilities because it was a small country which allowed for internal exchange ideas, and it had a homogeneous people. There was no foreign element.