MINISTER DEFENDS EDUCATION POLICY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 30 September 1927, Page 8

MINISTER DEFENDS EDUCATION POLICY.

DENIES CHEESE-PAR 1N G METHODS

WELLINGTON, Last Night

A defence of the policy . tie was following in regard to Education was made by the Minister of Education (Hon. R. A. Wright), when replying •in the House of Representatives to various criticisms made during the course of a discussion which followed the presentation of the Technical Education report to-day. Dealing with the question of hostels, the Minister said that it was not considered unreasonable that hostels be asked to make a return of 5 per cent'on capital expenditure for it had occurred that when these institutions were bull!, they catered mostly for pupils from a distano- , who could very well attend schools in their own districts. As a hostel was purely and simply a business undertaking, if parents choose to send (heir children to hostels from other parts of New Zealand, they should pay for it. Replying to a suggestion made by a member, the Minister said that he did not think it possible to amalgamate Technical Schools and High Schools where there was a good Technical School in operation. Where overlapping occurred was where there were half-filled classes at Technical Schools and High Schools. The Technical Schools erected, however, were practicaly fully occupied and many were asking for additional accommodation. The Minister denied emphatically that ho was. pursuing cheese-paring methods. There had been a close investigation of the position in order to eliminate anything in the nature of waste. That policy might be making him unpopular, but he could not help that. One direction in which he had endeavoured to effect a change was in checking the practise of pupils in country districts going past a small Technical School in the country and going to a bigger school'in the cities. It would not bo expected that the Department would pay travelling expenses of such children . There had been no attempt on his part to restrict the work of the Technical Schools, said the Minister. What the Department was trying to do was to prevent unnecessary classes. Hobby class“s, they might be called.

Mr E. J. Howard (Christchurch South): “What’s a hobby class?” The Minister: “Well, a number of people might get together and want to learn carpentering or something like that. That would be a hobby class.”

Mr G. W. Forbes (Hurunui): “Beer drinking is a hobby with some people.” (Laughter.) Referring to military ti’alnecs attending Technical Schools, the Minister said he had discussed that matter with the Minister of Defence and he believed an arrangement would bo made whereby these trainees would be excused from drill provided they made up the time later on.