“SECOND TO NONE”

Evening Star, Issue 25928, 21 October 1946, Page 4

“SECOND TO NONE”

KEW EDUCATION SYSTEM COMPREHENSIVE CHANGES PRIME MINISTER'S SURVEY “In the name of the Government E can definitely state that the money and the official encouragement of the Government will be available in the grand work of building an education system which will be altogether worthy of the children we teach and second to none in the world.- I am.confident that the department and the education authorities will, with their eager cooperation, do their utmost to assist in attaining this splendid objective-” This announcement, covering the postwar plans of the Government for education in New Zealand, has been made by the Prime Minister (Hon, P. Fraser) , in a Press statement. framework prepared, The necessity for a new Education Act was recognised before the outbreak of war, Mr Fraser. continued, and a great deal of preparatory work had been done to that end. The Atmora Report had provided a basis for the consideration of a draft pill by the Education Committee of the House of Representatives. Further progress was impossible during the course of the war, but now this work of preparing and framing a new Bill would be undertaken immediately with a view to introducing it as early as possible in the next session, ‘‘One of the most satisfactory features of the Labour Government’s administration of education is the close association set up between the Education Department and the private and Church schools,” Mr Fraser said; “ The old implied or accepted -non-co-opera-tion between piiblio schools on the one hand and private and church schools on the other has happily passed away under Labour's administration. The educational and health interests of all children must be promoted, and close co-operation between the department and all schools has been established for this purpose.” TEACHERS' REMUNERATION, Reforms in the Government’s programme affecting the teaching profession were announced by the Prime Minister as follows: “ A unified salary scale towards which the recent salary increases and adjustments were a substantial step. This will give full recognition to the importance of teaching, and will attract into the profession a fair share of the ablest young people leaving post-primary schools. “ Extension of training period by one year. “ Further training of teachers in the servcie to enable them to meet the increased demands ■ made on them by modern educational methods. More refresher and / special training courses. Reinstitution of organising teachers, and more infant ..roonx supervisors. “ Review of systems of grading and “ Exchange of teachers and assistance to selected teachers to study overseas. . “ Right of appeal against non-ap-pointment. Ways and means of bringing this about in a practical manner are now under discussion with the boards and the teachers’ organisations. BETTER SCHOOL BUILDINGS. Dealing with staffing, buildings, and equipment, the Prime Minister said that, as smaller classes were the key to • all educational advances, the immediate objective was 30. Although staffing schedules bad been recently improved, they would be increased again immediately sufficient teachers were available. More school buildings were essential, not only to enable classes to be, reduced, but also to catch up arrears, to prepare for increased school rolls, and to cater for drifts in population. Since 1935, when expenditure on school buildings was only about £170,000, the Government in the past 10 years had Bpent over £5,540,000 on new buildings and extensions. The estimated expenditure this year was close on £1,188,000. There was need for better school buildings, he added. The Government aimed at the. provision, of gymnasiums and assembly halls for post-primary schools, and combined gymnasium halls for large primary schools. The policy was to give every primary 'school of any size a library and a general purpose fpom. The Government had invited teachers, along with educational authorities, to sit on an advisory committee to discuss the problems of school buildings, including the order of priority in the present difficult position due to the urgent housing programme and shortages .of material. “ The Government’s programme,’! Mr Fraser continued, “ also includes many more teachers’ residences, hostels for. training college students, school meals, in consolidated schools, and in others where special needs exist. This is preliminary, to a general programme of meals in schools when it will be possible to . provide additional accommodation and equipment, more intermediate schools, ana adequate equipment for all schools, Increased grants , for incidentals are being made. The increase this year is 25 per cent., but more will .be provided if this proves insufficient for the purpose.; We also aim at providing more placing fields on a generous scale. HELPING COUNTRY PUPILS. “ The importance of rural education canhot.be over-emphasiesd,” the Prime Minister continued, “ and it has been and is the policy of the Government to give every country child educational facilities equal to those available to children in the city.- To help.to achieve this objective the Government will provide more district high schools developing into combined technical'and high schools, with better staffing, buildings, and equipment. There will be further consolidation of schools in suitable areas where local communities are iu agreement; and, where possible, including intermediate schools. Other proposals include improved conveyance systems, more school hostels, more agricultural high schools, further development in the department’s correspondence school, technical correspondence courses and more generous bursaries for both academic and technical courses. No substantial changes of policy or curricula in the post-primary schools were likely over the next five years, Mr Fraser said. The schools must be allowed to adapt themselves to the changes resulting from the accrediting system and the new curriculum. The Government, however, must help ttf provide the post-primary schools

with ways and means. Like the primary schools, they would be given more and better buildings, increased staff, and more equipment. Five or six off the largest technical schools were likely to develop into senior technical institutions catering for the training during the day of apprentices. On the subject of Native education, the Government’s policy was to provide for Maori education as it provided for pakeha children and to ensure in addition that the Native school inculcated in Maori children the pride of race and the understanding of their own culture that were essential to their self-respect and healthy development. POSITION OF UNIVERSITIES. “ We realise that the Government’s policy of giving free secondary education to all who can profit from' it must inevitably lend to a big increase in university enrolments, and are glad to assist the university colleges and the agricultural colleges to meet these new obligations,” the Prime Minister added. ” Grants for buildings, staff, equipment, libraries, . and research have been given on a generous scale, and will continue to be given as the need for them is demonstrated. This year the rate of the university grant has been increased by no less 'than 78 per cent. The report of the Consultative Committee on Adult Education has just been received, and is being considered -It is certain,, however, that the Government will increase the grant to the Council of Adult Education ; encourage the community centre movement; extend the country library service; extend the national film library; and increase the amount. of adult education done in the technical school evening classes.” OTHER BENEFITS. The Prime Minister added that a systematic review of the primary curriculum was to be completed in conjunction with teachers. Two-thirds of this work had already been done. Free dental'services were to be extended in both primary and post primary schools. The visiting teacher system was also to be extended; handicapped children are tp be more fully catered for ; the vocational, guidance service was to be extended to; cover smaller towns and country areas, and educational research was to . be encouraged. Returned servicemen teachers would continue to be helped in ■ the most generous way with the/ provision of post-graduate, courses and further higher educational opportunities, for those where careers were seriously interrupted. ■ • . • - The administration of both primary and post-primary schools was to be extended with a view to securing the greatest possible degree of unity and efficiency in the administration of all the schools in each ; district.