THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14976, 23 April 1909, Page 9

THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION.

VISIT TO CANTERBURY. The Hem G- Fowlds passed through Christchurch by the fust express yesterday on his v.'ay to Timaru to open the new technical school there. Interviewed by a ‘'Lyttelton Times” reporter, the Minister gavo somo interesting information regarding educational matters. Asked whether he could give any indication as to tho direction in which it was proposed to effect economies in tlio _ educational system of the dominion, Mr Fowlds said that no proposals had yet been adopted, but inquiries were being made with a view to a reduction in the expenditure of tho Department without affecting tho general efficiency of the system. Ho pointed out that tho major proportion of the expenditure of the Education Department represented the salaries of teachors, and as provision was made only last year for a general strengthening of staffs and increase of salaries, it would not be possible to economise in that direction. On the contrary, the expenditure would be larger this year than it was last year. The reporter asked whether there was any proposal to effect a saving in tho cost of administration by reducing the number of Education Boards, and whether it was correct that the South Canterbury Board was to be one of those to be dispbnsed with.- “ There is absolutely no foundation for tho report,” replied Mr Fowlds. “ D C£«a only be the product of journalistic imagination that because amalgamation waa being carried on in other Government Departments the same method of effecting economies would be applied to the Department of Education.” The idea had never been discussed in connection with education, and when proposals for reform wore advanced ho did not think they would be in that direction at all. There were at present eighteen Boards, and in only one instance was amalgamation such as was proposed at all desirable, and that was in the cuse of the Westland and Grey Boards. Asked whether it was proposed to continue ' the expenditure on tech-nical-education, which has been fairly -Lheavy- during tho past few year's," at vv the same rate as hitherto,'Mr Fowlds said that it was quite likely that for fomo time to come less' njon'ey would be available for buildings in connection with technical instruction. Under any circumstances ho did nob think so largo an expenditure would be asked for, as in most of the larger towns buildings had already been provided that were sufficient to meet requirements for a good many years. . As to whether tho expenditure on technical education had been justified by the results obtained, Mr Fowlds said that very good value had been obtained for the money, expended. The workmanship in quite a number of trades showed a very groat improvement since the technical schools woro established. • Probably in no direction had the improvement bean more marked than in. that of plumbers, and plumbing was a trade that touched the welfare and happiness of the people throughout every hour of their lives, both working and sleeping. In somo of the centres the students of the classes in plumbing had attainod a very high standard of efficiency. This was especially true of Auckland, where students competing with the whole Empire in the London examination, had acquitted themsolves most creditably, and the value of the' instruction waa to be seen in a better class of plumbing work in every part of the city and suburbs. A discussion on the value of classifying wool for sale arose at the meeting of the Auckland Board of Education on Wednesday, two or threo speakers deprecating it, and stating that they had secured better prices for their wool when they simply took ordinary precautions and packed the wool straight off the sheep’s backs than when they had it properly classed. Commenting on this, Mr Fowlds said that some farmers could always bo found who remained faithful to antiquated methods, but personally ho regarded wool-classing as a very important subject in technical education, and in every district which had wool to be classed, the _ local technical school should provide instruction in the work. He believed that the efficient operation of such classes would mean higher prices." Very successful wool-sorting classes were carried on in different parts of the country, and an important experiment had been made in connection with one of them. A sheepowner of the district placed a considerable quantity of his wool at the die]X)6al of the students, and it was classified by them under the guidance of their instructor.. The wool had been sent Home specially marked, and accompanied With instructions for the returns from its sale to be kept separate from .those' of the rest of. the clip. It .would be some time before the results came to' hand, but ho hoped that they ■would show the benefit of scientific classification in the return of higher prices to the shipper. In the annual report of the Auckland Education Board the statement was made that the difficulty of filling vacancies with certificated teachers had been intensified by the Education Act of last year, and that other Education Boards of the dominion had had similar experiences, the consequence being that a considerable number of uncertificated teachers had beeu appointed to positions throughout the dominion. A suggestion had been made that this

imposed an injustice on tho children attending tho small country schools which pupils in the larger-staffed town schools did not suffer.. In reply to a question on this point tho Minister said that it was not expected that the full staff for the schools of the dominion woidd be available for several years. The amended Act made provision for a good many additional teachors for the schools ot an average attendance of between 36 and 41, and at present schools of that grade had absorbed all tho certificated teachers available. The strengthening of the staffs of the schools above tho 36-41 grado would be carried out by regulation as the teachers became available. “It is only fair,” he said, “ to point out that many teachers who are at present classed as uucertificated would under tho system in vogue a few years ago havo been certificated, because for a number of years we have discontinued the issue of E certificates. Although this certificate has been practically abolished, wo insist on about as high a standard of efficiency before giving a license to teach as was required for that certificate, so that when peoplo point to tho larger number of uncertificated teachers engaged at the present time in tho schools as compared with a few years ago, they must- bear ill mind that practically all of those teachers would bo able to obtain with ea6e this lowest certificate.” The Minister referred in terms of satisfaction to the resolutions passed by the executive of the New Zea'and banners’ Union and the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Wednesday, approving of the action of the Cabinet in offering a Dreadnought to the Motherland, and he added that throughout New Zealand the action of tho Ministry was meeting with very general approval, both from supporters and opponents of tho Government. “The peop'e of New Zealand,” he said, “ are recognising that our national interests are identical with those of the people of Great Britain, and that our existence and prosperity depend very largely on 'the maintenance of the supremacy of tho sea by the British Navy. Up till the present nono of the oversea dominions has contributed anything like a fair share of the cost of tho Navy, and in the crisis which arose in connection with the acceleration of the building programme of Germany I believe that it was in the interests of all concerned that tho foreign nations should bo shown pretty clearly that we stood together as cno nation in tho determination to maintain our supremacy of the seas. Probably in the long run it will bo found a very considerable saving to the peoplo of New Zealand, because in the event of any foreign Power attaining a strength sufficient to give trouble to the British Navy, this country will be prepared and probably will ho compelled to mako a very much greater sacrifice to regain the lost ground. I consider the effect of the offer will be to dissuade some of these foreign peoples from their attempt to overpower the British Navy.” [From Our Correspondent.] TIMARU, April 22. The Minister of Education, the Hon G. Fowlds, accompanied by his private secretary (Mr W. Crowe), arrived from Wellington this morning by the first express train. In tho afternoon ho opened tho new Technical School in Tim m. To-morrow the Minister will pay his first visit to Waimate, and on Saturday will go on to Dunedin, where he is to open tho new Training College on Tuesday. A deputation, comprising Mr J. King, chairman of the Board of Managers of the Fairlie Technical Classes Association, and Mr C. J. Talbot, a member of' the Board, waited on the Minister in Timaru and asked for a grant of £250 for the erection of a technical school in Fairlio. At present the classes are conducted in various buildings in the township, and this arrangement is a most inconvenient one. It i 3 proposed to build a school in tho grounds of tho Fairlie primary school, and the residents are prepared to contribute up to £SO. The Minister said that the application would have to come through the South Canterbury Education Board before he could deal with it. Ho promised to give the request sympathetic consideration when it came before him. The additions to tho Technical School buildings in Timaru were formally opened by the Minister this afternoon. The ceremony was held in the lectureroom of tho school and there were about two hundred persons present. Before declaring the school open, the Minister gavo an interesting address on the value of technical education, and emphasised the necessity for the hearty co-operation of parents of young people. of the young people .them selves, and of employers of labour if the technical schools were to be successful. He said that, however eager for improvement a student might be, he. or she was not so receptive of instruction after a hard day’s work as in the day time, and he urged employers to afford their employees every encouragement and facility to avail themselves of tho benefit of tho classes held in the daytime. The Minister then declared the school open for use. Subsequently he presented a number of certificates of the St John Ambulance Association.