BACKBLOCKS EDUCATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 609, 8 October 1913, Page 3

BACKBLOCKS EDUCATION.

DISCUSSED IN PARLIAMENT.

In speaking on the Education question in the House last week, Mr C. K. Wilson, member for Taumarunui, put in a strong plea for backblock schools. He said he realised the enormous amount of money that was being spent oi the education system, but what he claimed was that though they had a free education system it was not for the people of the backbloeks. Their education was very expensive indeed to them. They were asked to provide land for school sites, and yet they found the greatest difficulty in having shanties built for their children. He wanted to impress on the Minister that many children in the backbloeks were absolutely running wild because they had no school at all. They could often get money from the Minister for a school, but they ecu Id not then get the board to move to expend it. He could not remain silent while he saw the children of the ba-kblocks settlers being denied the education to which they were entitled. Ha was quite sura tha people of the Dominion did not understand the condition of the backblock;: children in regard to education,, otherwise they would do something to sssist them to get it- In many of c-ur country schools if the health officer visited them to-morrow he wouid condemn them, because of insufficient, air space, Ten feet Was the prescribed allowance; in many cases they had only 4ft. Special provision ought to be made outside of the Education Boards so as to gve decent schools to the backblock settlers and better education for their children. He hsd -j letter in his possession complaining that sixteen children had been waiting for a year tor the Auckland Education Board to provide them with the means of education. They were entitled t;> free education, but they were not getting it.