EDUCATION ECONOMIES

Evening Star, Issue 21054, 17 March 1932, Page 11

EDUCATION ECONOMIES

* GLASS DISTINCTION ALLEGED CRITICISM OF COMMISSION'S REPORT ATTITUDE OF OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD “No other report drawn up makes class distinctions such as this one. I say that deliberately, and after a good deal of consideration. The whole trend of it is that the poor man has to pay, while the rich man, for whom it doesn’t matter so much, is let off. Another way in which the report is a class one is that the country child is badly hit in comparison with the town child.” These were the criticisms of the Chairman (Mr J. Wallace) of the Otago Education Board when the recommendations of the Economy Commission were being discussed. “ I do not . wish to speak disparagingly of the personnel of the Economy Committee,” said _Mr Wallace, “ because I have no right to do that. but 1 do say that, in approaching a department like that of Education, the committee as set up was a gigantic mistake, because the men who compose it arc stern business men, who probably know nothing whatever about the difficulties of education, and who are, 1 take it, all wealthy men.” THE TRAINING COLLEGE The following statements, prepared by the committee of the board, were read by the secretary (Mr G. W. Carrington) :—“ The Economy Commission proposes to close the Dunedin and Wellington Training Colleges, and estimates the saving at £7,000. The Minister of Education definitely promised the deputation which waited on him that it it, became actually necessary to close the Dunedin College, ho would, before doing so, place all the facts and figures before the hoard for further consideration. The board intends to fight lor the continuation of teacher training in Dunedin, whether under its control or under University control; that is a matter of no great moment so long as Dunedin retains its college. .In the meantime the board reiterates and makes public the complete statement laid before the Minister." The statement traversed the history of the college, and concluded with the following suggested economies:—

“ Reduction of Students’ Bursaries. — At present these are £76 10s for males and £72 for females, with £27 per annum boarding allowance for those living away from homo. A reduction to £55 for "men and £SO for women would, on the basis of 1,000 students, effect a saving of £22,000. Tho boarding allowance should not, the hoard thinks, he touched, as £27 is a fair estimate of the additional cost of hoarding over living at home. Probationer salaries could ho similarly reduced.

“ Closer Co-ordination Between University and Training College to Prevent Duplication of Lecturers.—Some saving might ho made hero. An argument against this is that in certain subjects— English and history, for instance—professors at tho University do not deal with the subjects in just the right way required for teachers in training. “ Special Measures in 1933, When College Rolls Reduced to Half.—lt is suggested that head masterships of large schools becoming vacant he filled temporarily by tho lecturers not required until such" time as their services are wanted again in the colleges. The colleges, as a temporary measure, could he carried on with skeleton staffs. “ The Otago Board with a free hand overcame similar difficulties forty years ago. These may bo more complex now, but nevertheless surmountable without the necessity of closing any one college even as a temporary measure. ABOLITION OF BOARDS The portion of the report dealing with the proposed abolition of hoards stated, inter alia;—“The evidence placed before the Economy Commission by the Director of Education in connection with abolition of all boards and centralised control is quite familiar to this board. It is well known that the director is definitely in favour of a completely centralised department. The director now brings before the Economy Committee the same figures and arguments for centralisation which had previously failed to convince the Recess Committee after much fuller investigation than the Economy Commission has had time to give them. Rebutting evidence could have been furnished to the Economy Committee had it sought it, but being in a hurry it had adopted as a whole the director's proposals. The committee has accepted the figures placed before it comparing the administrative cost of education in New Zealand with the Australian States ns conclusive evidence that the New Zealand system is unduly expensive. It did not pause, to ascertain whether the figures constituted a fair basis of comparison. To make this comparison of any value the items of administration chargeable against the education vote must be reasonably identical. In New Zealand the Education Department is responsible for a wide range of activities covering the whole field of education from child welfare administration to University finance. What is the position in the Australian States?

‘‘lt is quite possible that a common basis of comparison might prove the Australian system to be cheaper, but the board is satisfied not sufficiently so to justify tlie committee’s recommendation to abandon practically every vestige of local control.

“On the evidence placed before it by the department, the Economy Committee assumes that there is considerable duplication of work, and therefore necessary to abolish all boards. Actually all the originating work connected with the preparation of teachers’ salaries, committee grants, manual instruction, conveyance capitation, subsidies, and so on is done by the local hoards, and it can be more effectively and expeditiously performed in the respective districts than in Wellington. The department acts as a medium for the transmitting of money in totals from the Treasury to the boards. The actual work of the disbursement of these sums in salaries, bursaries, wages, material, services, etc., devolves on the boards. The department carries out the necessary checking of the boards’ claims, etc. Even if salaries and other disbursements were made by the department direct, the chocking of calculations would still lie necessary within the department. The board docs not chuck the teachers' pay lists, ns it knows the department will do this, and a pay sheet of £15,001) per month must be checked by someone. There is no comparison between the work and responsibility of original preparation carried out by the boards and that of chocking performed by tho department. All this originating work

must be done by someone, and the abolition of hoards will not reduce it, “ Then, too, in regard to school buildings, the work of supervision, the administration of the maintenance, and other building grants can bo more efficiently and economically carried out by the hoards than by, say, the Publio Works .Department. ‘‘The commitce approves of the retention of school committees, and it makes a vague proposal to establish a Central Advisory Board, which means nothing so far as local interest and control are concerned—it would be little more than an appendage of the department. When the 2,600 school committees are required to deal direct with Wellington about grants, subsidies, repairs, equipment, complaints, difficulties, annual elections, audit of accounts, and so on, they will realise the difference between a remote authority, which knows them only as so many names, and the local bo’ard, conversant as it is with the history and special difficulties of each school.

“ Such a policy of centralisation would undermine almost all local interest and local support. The attempt to make the education of the children a mere matter of machine control under an impersonal body called ‘‘ a department ” is fraught with consequences that cannot be advantageous either to the State, the parents, or the pupils. There is no need for a central department to assume the responsibility for and the control of all manner of matters which are entirely of local concern—at the same time eliminating the possibility of dealing promptly and effectively with difficulties and problems' as they arise. “ The board desires to make it dear that it is not particularly concerned about the retention of the presefit Education Boards as such, but it is lighting for adequate local control such ns might'he procured with economy in unified boards for primary, secondary, and technical education within each education district. Such boards, however, must have much more than the mere shadow of control suggested in the Atmoro report. The board, however, opposes any proposal to abolish hoards until such time ns definite legislation for an approved system of local control is enacted.

“ Tho committee estimates a saving of £50,000 through the abolition of hoards—no doubt again relying entirely on the department’s figures, lb is very doubtful whether increased centralisation of administration will result in any considerable saving. Has Government, administration ever been economical? The tendency is for Government departments to grow—note tho Education Department itself—between 1915 and 1930 the head office staff increased from 71 to 108. Tho boards, with practically no increase in the rate of their administration grant since the war, have had of necessity to practise the strictest economy. No such necessity apparently has been required in the administration of the department’s head office. Tho highly-centralised method of administration docs not in general make for less work.

“ The hoard, of course, recognises that if all the committee’s proposed economies are adopted there will be less administrative work for both the department and the boards, and staffs must he reduced, but all the sacrifice should not fall on the boards. If necessary, originating work now carried out by the hoards is to ho done by the department, then additional officers will he required in Wellington unless tho department is already over-staffed. The board is satisfied that the saving in the transfer of work to the department will not he worth the inconvenience which school committees, teachers, and the public will suffer through Inning to deal with a central office. Tho committee, through relying upon departmental evidence only, was naturally unacquainted with the work involved in actual administration, that is at the point where, through the hoards, regulations touch parents, teachers, and committees. Almost every month the board is called upon to settle some dispute or difference which has arisen between teacher and parent or teacher and committee. Tho board’s decision is invariably accepted as a. satisfactory solution, whereas the decision of an offi cial would frequently he questioned and dissatisfaction would still _ exist. The members of the board are in close touch with tho needs of the district, the members for the most part are men ot sound judgment, and at every meeting questions come before them which can he properly decided only in the light ot local knowledge. Tho foresight of the boards in recommending the acquisition of building sites in advance of population must have saved the country many hundreds of pounds, while, en the other hand, the lack of judgment and vision on tho department’s part in not accepting those recommendations has cost the country considerable sums. The judgment of a body of men on such matters is often sounder than that ol an official.

“ The abolition of the boards will actually result in the centralising in the department in Wellington every aspect of educational control throughout the country, for it is difficult to see m what way the functions of school committees as at present constituted can be enlarged. In any case, the honorary secretaries of school committees are not looking for more work. If everything were referred to Wellington there would be such delays in the settlement of small matters that local interest would bo absolutely discouraged. _ A remote central authority could not in any case decide as wisely and _ sympathetically the numerous applications which come before the hoard every month from teachers, committees, and parents. The value of the personal relationship which exists between the boards and *he people cannot be over-stressed.'’ OTHER POINTS ALLOWANCES TO TRAINING COLLEGE STUDENTS. “ The board recognises that some reduction must be made, and has already advocated a bursary of £55 for men and £SO for women, plus £2O boarding allowance where necessary. The committee’s proposals arc too drastic, and to make them apply to present students from the beginning of the second term would be both unjust and unfair, as students —particularly those living away from home —have already entered into commitments. MANUAL TRAINING CENTRES. “ The proposal to close the country manual training centres can bo justified only as a temporary measure, and this applies also to the cutting out of S. V. in city schools. The country children are entitled to share in some of the advantages the cities enjoy- ' CONVEYANCE OF CHILDREN. “ The discontinuance of capitation for conveyance will affect a class already badly hit. The amount paid to parents for conveying their own children works out at about £5 p.a. for each child living over three miles from school, and £G Ids over live miles. The loss of oven small sums will bo felt by settlers and other remote dwellers at the present time, and a reduction of one-half would have effected a considerable economy. The back block settler is entitled to some consideration in the

matter of securing a reasonable education for his children. The boarding allowance of 5s per week (about £lO p.a.), which is to he abolished, allows a good many settlers living, a considerable distance from a school to board their children near a school, it is proposed that these children be now enrolled in the Correspondence School at a cost of £6 p.a.—a ■saving, of £4. It is suggested that instead of abolishing tho hoarding allowance it ho reduced 'to £6 p.a., and parents he given the option of enrolling* tho children in the Correspondence School or accepting the reduced hoarding allowance. CLOSING OF SMALLER SCHOOLS. “ The hoard docs not approve of the closing of all Grade 0 schools, and suggests that those with an average of five and over bo continued. Not every parent has the time to or is capable of supervising lessons under the correspondence scheme, and where it can be shown that this is so the household and grade 0 schools should be allowed to continue, the allowance per pupil to he reduced from £ls to £lO. This would still result in a considerable saving. SCHOOL COMMITTEE ALLOWANCES. “ Tho inspectors’ reports frequently complain that schools are not swept and dusted daily, in most eases the reason is that committees cannot make ends meet on tho present allowance, and in nearly all country districts at tin present time it is impossible lo supplement it with local money, it seems to the board ridiculous to take 10 per cent, off an already inadequate grant, and it would only servo to further discourage parents from taking an interest in school committees. FREE BOOKS. “ The discontinuance of these at the present time seems cruel. The board trusts that tho Government will not adopt this recommendation. MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS. “ The hoard agrees with a reduction in the inaintcnaiuj grant as a temporary measure, but it would ho a shortsighted policy to continue it any longer than is absolutely necessary. The board’s experience during tho war period, when a similar course was adopted warrants this statement. TEACHERS’ SALARIES. “ Certain special allowances and reductions in salaries of female teachers are recommended, and the board does not oppose these, but it considers that a comparison should have been made between the scales of salaries applicable to different types of schools. The average salary of adult teachers in primary schools is £2Bl, secondary £575, and technical £361). Tho ease of male assistants is a .glaring example, in secondary schools tho average is £402, technical £407, primary £304. The board considers that in general there is no sound reason for such disparity. If all salaries were brought down lo the primary scale, there would be an ultimate saving of £01,652 p.a. in respect of secondary and £30,360 in respect of technical—a total of £92,012. Tho saving, of course, would ho gradual, as the new salaries, where lower, would apply only to new appointees. PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION. “ The hoard considers the recommendation to charge a fee of 2s 6d per pupil for the proficiency examination a miserable proposal for raising revenue. SPECIAL CAPITATION FOR SEWING. “The country schoolgirl in a sole school taught by a nude is entitled to tuition in sewing. AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTION. “Now that teachers receive instruction in the Training College in this subject it is not so necessary to have itinerant instructors, and no strong exception can he taken to the committee’s recommendation to discontinue them. It is now twenty years since special instructors in agriculture were appointed in Otago, and the good results which have accrued are apparent to all. The scope of the work has been gradually developed in recent years, and the beautification of the school grounds is now recognised as an important part of tho programme. The board is fortunate in having had as senior instructor since tho inception of the scheme a man of tho calibre of Mr E. S. Green. Tho well-cared for gardens and the attractive environment at most of our schools are the result of his enthusiasm and direction, and in this ho has been ably assisted by his colleagues. A FAIR COMPROMISE. “ The Minister of Education has pointed out that the full effect of the economies ho has already instituted will not be felt until the end of 1932-33 financial year, when the total savings would approximate £850,009. If these are added to the committee’s suggested savings of £369,950 there is a total saving in education expenditure of well over a million. This does not take into account the further saving which will accrue if there is another 10 per cent, reduction in salaries—probably £240,000. “ A reduction of a million in the education vote was going to satisfy most critics. If all the recommendations are adopted there is a saving in sight of £1,459,000. If capital expenditure is deducted the saving is still £1,258,600. It is- suggested that it should not now be necessary to' resort to all of the drastic economies suggested by tho commission, and tho modifications suggested by tho hoard are put forward as a lair compromise.’ THE DISCUSSION

Mr Wallace said he supposed it devolved upon him as chairman to move the adoption of the report and to make a criticism of the recommendations of the Economy Commission. He seldom had been more nervous than he was in doing so. Ho did not pretend to be an economist, but ho believed that he had a certain amount of common sense. The report of the commission was such that he believed that the men who drew it up entered into their job with no other intention than to save money. That was an unfair way in which to approach the matter of education. Education gave no direct gain, but tho whole of the dominion had to depend ujnn the educational system for the ruuunmg of the life of the country. He did not wish to speak disparagingly of tho personnel of the commission, because that would he something he had no right to do, hut he did say that, m approaching a department such as that of education, the committee as set up was a gigantic mistake, because the men who composed it were stern business men who probably knew nothing about the difficulties of education and who, ho took it, were all wealthy men. No other report drawn up made such class distinctions as this one did. Ho said that deliberately, and after a good deal of consideration. The whole trend of tho report was that tho poor man had to pay, while the rich man, for whom it didn’t matter so much, was let off, Another way in .which .tjie report

was a class report was that the country child was badly hit compared with the town child. Nearly all the recommendations hit the country child. The report of the commission began by decrying the training colleges, then it went on to suggest economies—it suggested the cutting out of free railway travelling, the cutting out of conveyance subsidies and allowances, the j cutting out of grade 0 schools, the cutting out of manual training centres, and other things. It would be said the commission had done the job to the best of their ability. The board doubted their ability to do it. The suggested payments to training college trainees were ridiculous. It had to be remembered that those training for other professions had the world for their market, but nine-tenths of the teachers had only one avenue of employment—through the Government. Dealing with the proposed economies which would affect country children, Mr Wallace said he spoke feelingly, because he knew from his own experience of the disadvantages under which country people laboured. In regard to the conveyance of children, he was of the opinion that, notwithstanding what happened years ago, they'had no right to ask children to walk four, five, or six miles to school. The recommendation that grade 0 schools should be closed and that the children should be put on a correspondence system was nonsense. Some of the members of the commission should have known better than that. They should have known that many farmers’ wives had to have breakfast ready at 6 o’clock in the morning. The abolition of the boards would not affect the Otago Education Board very much because be thought there was a majority on the board who agreed that there should be an amalgamation of forces among the Technical College, High Schools’ Board, and Otago Education Board, but before the board agreed to that it wanted to know what was going to be put in their place. He had the audacity to suggest that there should be five bodies for the who]e of New Zealand—three in the North Island and two in the South Island—when he spoke before the Atmore Committee. The committee said that the areas would bo far too large, but lie was strongly of opinion that money could be saved by having unified control. Anything that had been said about the maintenance of control by a board did, not apply personally to any member of the Otago Education Board, because be thought most of the members were quite content to stand down and let some other board take their place. Referring to committees’ allowances, Mr Wallace said those allowances were to be cut by 10 per cent. He wondered if the commission had inquired as to what bad to be done with the small allowances that were made—about £ls. They saw in the report of inspectors ' and the health officer complaints about ' certain cleaning piethods. It was said that the schools should be cleaned and dusted every day over 200 school days, but how were committees going to do that with the money at their disposal and provide stationery and other things |as well? The reduction in those allow- , ances was to his mind very much on a par with the reduction of 10 per cent, in wages. The commission said if wages were cut 10 per cent, rents would come, down. Mr Wallace said that .rents, etc., should be cut and then let the wages follow. He was not an economist, but he claimed to have some modicum of common sense, and he felt that the 10 per cent, cut was a system of pessimism. What was wanted to-day was not for them to lock their pockets up but to keep as much money as possible circulating. The cutting out of free school books to poor children was another subject touched on by Mr Wallace. If a child went to school without books ho was in an invidious position, but he was supplied with books and no one knew of it. It was absolutely necessary that books should bo supplied. Mr Wallace said he did not think he should say anything more—perhaps he had said more than he meant to say—, but he would just like to say a word about the proficiency examination fee, and if there ever was a policy of “ don’t know where to raise cash from ” that was one. and all they could get out of it was harmless. The whole report of the Economy Commission was a class report. It came from people who evidently did not know what it was not to know where the next “bob” was coming from.. He spoke feelingly. He was a poor man and always had been, and he did not think the report was going to do any good whatever. Mr Wallace moved:— 1. That a copy of the board’s statement be forwarded to the Minister of Education, to all boards, and to all members of Parliament. 2. That the Minister of Education bo asked for an assurance that he will submit any proposal for altering the present system of local control to all boards before any legislation is promoted; and that the boards be given ample opportunity of conferring and submitting recommendations. The Hon. D. T. Fleming, in seconding the motions, said that if the Government of this country thought that the people of Otago were going to be controlled by people in Wellington it Was making a great mistake. OTHER OPINIONS. Mr W. M. Moore said that he had a horse and gig on the road to take his children to school, and it picket! up one or two other children, and if the allowance was discontinued it meant that he would have to keep the gig on the road himself. All the allowance he received at present barely covered the cost of maintenance. It meant that he would either have to continue, to carry the other settlers’ children along with his own, or they would have to walk some miles, and that would be a considerable hardship. ,• '

Mr G. Livingstone said the Government showed a lack of sound'judgment when it had to go outside for opinions. The Chairman: 1 meant to say something like that. Hon. D. T. Fleming: You have said enough, and said it well. Mr J. H. Wilkinson supported all that had been said. Ho said it was to be regretted that at a time when it was very necessary for every child to receive the best education which the country could give there should be an attempt to deprive them of it. After the war, when the British Government was faced with very stringent financial conditions, it did not curtail educational facilities. It was recognised that, if Britain were to emerge successfully from the clouds of depression, it was necessary for the future welfare of the Empire that the young people should be thoroughly equipped. The wrong view was being taken in New Zealand. What had been proposed was most drastic. The State had undertaken the education of tile children, and should carry it out to the best advantage, having due regard to the rights of the child. He congratulated the chairman on his statement. Mr J. Horn congratulated the chairman and the committee on the exhaustive report which it had brought forward. Every member of the board, ho thought, had considered the report of the commission and also the Atmorc report. The Atmore Commission did meet the education boards right throughout New Zealand, but the present commission had not consulted, so far as he knew, any permanent body connected J with education except the depjufaeflt. 1

He wanted to back up what the chair* man and Mr Wilkinson had said about country children. They had been fighting their way and having to reduce for many years, and it was not fair. Immediately after the war the British Government gave a big fillip to education in Great Britain. He hoped the board’s report would produce correspondence from those who had been connected with education. He thought it would help a great deal and would help the education of the dominion. Mr W. R. Brugh said he liked the committee’s report because it appreciated the fact that economies had to be made, and it showed the Minister where economies could be made in the education system as a whole; but lie thought it would be a calamity if the expert knowledge of a man like the chairman were lost to education in the dominion. The commission was composed of experts in their own line, but they did not recognise the complicated concern that education was, and they had foolishly jammed a spanner into some of the works that _ was going to shake the whole machine to its foundations. The motions were carried.