CONTROL OF EDUCATION

Evening Star, Issue 15293, 19 September 1913, Page 2

CONTROL OF EDUCATION

DISCUSSED BY THE OTAGO board. At last month’s meeting of the Education Board Chief-inspector Richardson submitted an exhaustive comment upon tho resolutions recently passed at the Secondary Schools’ Conference. Yesterday board considered the resolutions, which were as follow ;

Resolution 2. Control of Secondary Education.—That the conference is strongly of opinion that tho placing of secondary education, as well as primary and technical education, under the control of education boards or of the proposed school boards, would be contrary to the best interests of education in this Dominion. Tho confer ence is further of opinion that tho control ot secondary education should remain with governing bodies appointed ad hoc, though tho constitution of such bodies may in some cases be open to amendment. It is essential that the inspection of secondary schools should remain, as now, in the hands of the central department. It is also essential that any Inspector-General or Director of Education who may bo hereafter appointed shall be, like tho present Inspector-General, one who is fully conversant with both tho higher and primary branches of education. Tho conference is °, 1 ?P. imo . n tilat the inspectorate should be still further strengthened by the inclusion ot an increased number of experts versed in different branches of secondary and higher education. Resolution 6. Junior Free Places.-— That the conference dissents from the recommendation that the present examinations for certificates of proficiency and of competency be abolished, and is of opinion that tne present system of awarding junior free places has proved itself to be substantially satisfactory. The conference dissents from the recommendation that a monetary guarantee bo exacted from ; the parents of children entering upon a junior free place at a secondary school that such children shall remain for at least two years, the grounds of its dissent being that such guarantee would deter the children of poor parents fiom entrance, and that the experience ot its members shows that the average length of stay is perceptibly increasing. b Resolution 7. Scholarships.— The conference strongly dissents from tho proposal to abolish junior national and junior education board scholarships. The conference is ot opinion that tho number of senior education ward scholarships might with great benefit be increased, in order to extend to a greater number of able boys and girls than at present tho fullest chances of profiting by the advantages offered to such by our mjtumal. system of education. Resolution 8. Private Schools—The conference approves of the recommendation that all private schools should bo subject to inspection, and is of opinion that'no pi ivate school should be permitted to be conducted without an official certificate that it reaches a minimum standard of general efficiency, and that, tho structural anangements, etc., are satisfactory. Certificate of Proficiency—That'thc Government be requested to raise the stanp"L?„V h0 va 01 wt?? a . r u- lor J . ullior Scholarship Holders—that this conference is ot the opinion that principals ot secondary schools should be authorised to report to the local education board on tho suitability of boarding arrangements made by junior district and junior national scholars, with a view to the proper housing and supervision ot such scholars. 1 the board cl istfon -opnil 0 Tl expressed in resolution 2 ton to the word ‘amendment.’” e^i th ?r ghfc t th j ftt th f c should be one local controlling body He thought that there i.,. l , mucb overlapping, and he did not think that the best was being done at VTo b / , thc , bodies, fake the High bchool, for instance In his opinion* better work could be done there if it. wore under the Education Board. It would not be necessary for the board to all , V 1 ® details. That could be loft to an advisory board. Mr Fleming seconded. * th?U ?| lt at Mr Scott had missed the point in tho inspector’s report He (the speaker) did not want to see them desti oj the enthusiastic public support hey had received in the past, or strengthen the control of the central authority irMVol--Img ton. . It might be arranged to ha c a °n fZSSfr cducaifcnal b ° d «* ana again ,o discuss matters. Ihe Hon. Mr Fergus thought that th»y b «d too many local bodies governing *d« c.ta He thongU that ifSd'bc o the advantage or tho -system if they could do away with some of thqm. He had al Sd b be" !° f 1° P,n il 0n that <he bi s b schools liou d Ire under the control of the board but he ventured to say that there was no where bd^ eW l ZC ' a i ?lld 31 the F ese «t dav U thJ f' 'rf 1 ,r . than Dunedin hj nd B0 ’ TS Hlgh ,<5cIloo!s in uunedin Their own inspectors were miito qualified to inspect the high schools. g T'"u g ln , ore at Hcadquartcn> than with the boards. Touching on ■echmcal education, he said it was pitfable n iZ t , ho t . IIUIe f int « rost thp public took oil T of - m . embers to the Technical Classes Association. In T r l :n T Ch n i T an -^ i - d ho did not believe in • acing all descriptions of education under ff ko C i°i, Uo ’ ng a “ thowt .V- He said that t had been one of the strongest points in the government of this country tkt they ad a diversity of bodies administering a CO rni y f Of ,,' V T IC - If . thiß hoard had the tontiol of all classes oi education in Otago Us co.is'Jtution must, ho very materially altered in the direction of giving to the ai ,U thf h + ' S M 6chool , s a Intent voice 'tL* bc,ai ' d c table, and he said when that came about the cause of primary education in the rural districts was going to he largely discounted. Had technical education been in tho hands of the board the work accomplished at the Technical School would never have reached the standard it had to-day, because the local enthusiasm 'ftould havo b<?cn d&st roved. Tho motion was carried by 5 votes to

The remaining part of resolution 2 was then considered, and the. hoard decided to dissent from the view that experts be appointed. 1

Resolutions 6, 7. and 8 wero approved of without discussion.

The board expressed no opinion in re gayd to the resolution “certificate of pro ncionev.” 1

Ihc last resolution effecting scholarships also met with the board’s approval.