CONTROL OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

Evening Star, Issue 20556, 7 August 1930, Page 6

CONTROL OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

NELSON COLLEGE VIEWS RECESS COMMITTEE'S PROPOSALS WOULD LOWER STATUS [Per Ukited Press Association*.] KELSON. August 6. At a special meeting, the Board of Governors of Nelson College after discussing Part 1. of the report of the Recess Education Committee, adopted a memorandum which included the following :

The board realises Part 1. of the report is not complete without Part 11.. the contents of which may explain and amplify certain of the matters commented on.

fl) The board commends the proposal to terminate primary education at eleven years of age plus or after passing standard IV. The board has urged this alteration on the department for many years. (2? The board of the bur-sa-y s>;tem as outlined if safeguards can be provided in the matter or selections and if the bursaries are not extended to onvate schools. (3) The board welcomes the recommendation of the committee that adequate practical instruction in agriculture will be included in the curricula of schools. At the same time the board would stress the necessity of secondary schools continuing to endeavour to turn out their pupils with a high standard of general culture. (4) The board is in agreement with unification of control so far as postprimary education only is concerned, but it is definitely ana strongly opposed to the recommendations (7) and fS) of the committee for complete unification of control on the grounds that the proposed change will result in more centralisation with consequent lack of local interest.

Tho functions of various bodies will be difficult to adjust, but having regard to those outlined in Part 1. ol the report there can be little left for the College Council to do. The administration of the boarding side of the college must suffer. No reference is made in the report to the control of boarding establishments. This may be covered by Part II of the report Divided control as suggested in Part 1 is impossible for a hoarding school. That by tho proposed unification Nelson College will lose its identity and status and will suffer in its tone and tradition.

Tho board considers the proposals that principals should be secretaries unsuitable, especially for boarding schools.

The board is strongly opposed to the appointment of teachers being made by a National Appointment Committee or to the proposed right of transfer. Such appointments or transfers would be unsatisfactory for a dnv school with traditions of its own, hut for boarding schools would he disastrous. The board adopts and approves of Mr Broad's comments on this matter as follows. “ 1 feel very strongly indeed that if tho present system of appointing teachers in secondary, schools, i.e., by the governing body after consultation with the jvi'incipal. is replaced by the suggested central system our school and others of the same type will suffer considerably. Their status, at present a very high one, and their tone, a most important feature in a secondary school will be lowered, and must in consequence suffer. Under the existing conditions hoards advised by the principal can secure a type of teacher suited to their requirements, not merely room teachers, but men who are willing anil able to participate in the numerous activities of a big secondary school. Undw the control of a central body, guided by the teachers’ register, we shall have to take the next on the list regardless of his suitability for ibis school. Such a svstem must eventually lead to the lowering of the status of our public secondary schools, an increase in the numbers attending private schools, and an increase in the number of such schools and consequent intensification of class distinction. Tho great public schools, i.e., the private schools of England, are mainly tho cause of the extreme class distinction there. The committee, in its report, decries class distinction in New Zealand. but in my opinion it is going to increase it if centralisation in this direction is carried out. The great secondary schools of the Empire at the present time are the private or semi private schools. Those completely under Cnvcrnment control have a lower status and lower efficiency.” id) Tho board considers it essential that the appointment of principals for hoarding schools should not be by a central committee in Wellington.

The board was unanimous on recommendations 1,2, 3,5, and 0. There wero two dissentions from No. 4.