EDUCATION BILL

Evening Star, Issue 22938, 21 April 1938, Page 2

EDUCATION BILL

OTAGO BOARD'S OPINIONS In regard to the Education Bill, on which a Select Committee is now taking evidence, the Otago Education Board, at its meeting this morning, decided to inform the Education Committee of the House:— (1) ' That it strongly supported the present optional opening, devotional exercises in all cases where, teachers were willing voluntarily to undertake the work. - 'Vi’-Vv--(2) That it supported the' request of the Kurow District High School .Committee that the Hakataramea and Hakatafamea Valley Schools be included in the Otago education district in that conveyance was practicable to the Kurow District High School, where there was a secondary department and manual training facilities. (3) That Pembroke ■ and Cardxona, although in the Lake County in the Southland district, should be included in the Otago district for the reason that they are more easily reached from this district, being on the Otago side of the Crown Range. (4) That the board would stongly oppose any proposal to divide Otago into two education districts with a second board in North Otago. The province is a compact one, all parts being readily accessible to Dunedin. , Oamaru (72 miles from Dunedin by road) is situated almost' at the northern boundary of the province, and the number of primary schools north of Palmerston (halfway) having community interest _ with Oamaru is not more than 36,; with a school roll of less than 2,000.