EDUCATION ECONOMY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 September 1927, Page 5

EDUCATION ECONOMY

TECHNICAL SCHOOL WORK. HOBBY CLASSES STOPPED. MINISTER EXPLAINS POLICY. BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL TO THE STAR. WELLINGTON,. Sept. 29. An explanation ot' his 'policy an critically examining the new proposals for education expenditure was given to the House by the Hon. R, A. Wright, Minister of Education, when following in 2. presentation of the technical education report, a number of members subjected the Department to criticism, because local requirements had not .been mict.

One strong grievance was from Wanganui, which was offered money for a technical school 1 , hostel, if it would pay 5 ipcr cent, interest. The Minister’s answer was that these hostels paid im .some paces, and an examination showed that one particular hostel in a locality he would not indicate. had 80 boarders, only 20 of whom came from country districts. “We aro not going to do anything to impair the efficiency of our system.” declared Mr Wright, “hut we want to prevent unnecessary expenditure in order that the money saved may be expended where it is more necessary.” WASTE IN TRAVELLING'. The Minister indicated one example of waste. The Department found that a large number of technical schoa l ; pupils were being carried past quite a good .school to get to a bigger one. in a city, and the Department was Shaving to pay their fartas. He found that a technical school of another city had circularised the whole province to induce pupils to come into a large college from the country, of course, .asking the Department to pay their fares' when there was a very good school nearer. If that policy was permitted, then it would destroy all desire on the part of country children to remain in th«2 country. There was no attempt to restrict the work of technical schools, but he would stop unnecessary classes, when there; was not enough money for the classes actually needed. He would not authorise hobby classes. If the people wanted hobbv classes- they could pay all this cost, but if the controllers of some technical -schools were. allowed their way, they frankly tod him that wherever there was a demand for a class it would be inaugurated. He did not agree with establishing classes for people’,? private pleasure. Mr Lee: “What are hobby classes?” The Minister: “Groups of. people form classes to study .something for their own private benefit. Amateurs want to learn a little hit of rough carpentry.” Thin; sort of class would have to be paid for fullv until there was an iinerea«e in the education vote.. Answering a suggestion that military training- interfered with technical education, the Minister explained that he had consulted the Minister of Defence on the subject, "and he believed an arran cement could he made , for military training at a time which would not interfere with technical school work. THE URGENT NEED.

“I believe there are 122 schools in New Zealand where two teachers have f<> take classes in the same room,” continued Mr Wright. “Everybody knows without being a teacher that this, is wrong, and I am trying niv best to remedy it. This is the first crying necessity of our educational svstem. It means in most cases the erection or another room, so that if any money can be saved it must be used to put some of those .schools on a better footing.