REPRESENTATION ON EDUCATION BOARDS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 23 June 1923, Page 7

REPRESENTATION ON EDUCATION BOARDS.

WELLINGTON, June 23. Th« Director of Education, Mr Cau-gnley, lias brought before tne Coubcil of Education Uio question of the appointment of seats on .Education Boards as between town and country districts. He moved that the Council of Education is strongly of opinion that the present method of _ apportioning seats on Education Boards is quite inequitable and undemocratic, and as the result of the working ot the present Act the urban areas profit Largely in representation at the expense of country cii'strictsT For instance, in one urban area a population of 6000 has the same representation on the board as a librae country district of 30,000. Ancmalies in other districts are-" equally obvious and are indefensible. In the opinion of the Council the represent..! rion is so disproportionate and unfair to the country districts that it calls tor the pttention of Parliament. The Council desires, therefore, to again urge upon tne t*overnme-iit as it v.d in I^l6 tlie i necessity of an amendment .o The law, i which will give justice to these districts. ' Further, it should be noted ihi>t' for | the Parliamentary elections the Legu?hinve I'a-s provided for a country quota, ! which gives 28 per cent advantage to the country voter in representation, ifhereas uiiuer the present system ot eilycntion board elections a very heavy quota is given in favour of the town. for i instance, there are cases w hare an uri ban elector has an electoral advai.tr.ge ! of. 300 per cent, over the country eiec- | tors. If any special portion < f the eclui cational district is to have a represen- ' ; tation advantage, the Council is or' } opinion that the principle as obtain- i | ing in general elections should be in- j ivoked. j I Mr Caughley added that the De- . partment was ouite prepared to wait | until the boards had considered the : matter and forwarded their suggestions Ito the D-epartment. This was agreed ■ to* _—»___