The Ensign. TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1914. THE EDUCATION BILL.

Mataura Ensign, 21 July 1914, Page 4

The Ensign. TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1914. THE EDUCATION BILL.

u r "'. < ' Ilew " Education Bill is a compre- , honsive measure of 15!) clauses and i schedules and consolidates * V' 0 • r «»t»ng-t<) primary and'scconaa»\ mstn;ct;mi in tho State schools. y au,je :. CKtiihl-£hpß a- now. Advisory > Conned 1h.,5 council was. suggested by - the Education- Commission' which sat f: - 11110 y«ars ,-!go.. Tho Council will be <'ajjjp_o.si.d of 1/ mora.be re who-are to -be appointed or elected as follows:—Tlio Director of Education, who shall be chairman; one Assistant Director of Education, who shall be chairman, in • the absence of the Director; one other o Hirer of Ihe Education Department appointed by the Minister: two membeis elected by tho members of the e:.iica,tion Ixmrcfe in the North Island, and two mem!>ers' elected by tho members of the education boards in the ..South Island; one member elected by oert.iiitv-.ted male teachers of public schools in the, North. Island, and' one , elretcd by certificated male teaehiTij ot public schools in the South If-dand ; one moinh-ei- elected by the male teachers in secondary and tochiKoal f fit?' ° m ' elected by certincatW? women teachers of public aehoo!s 111 %it v o Island, sxiid one meinber certificated women teachers or pubJif&r .schools' in tho South L>hin<l; oae me^fe cr •' clouted b'v tiie women U-aciore-m sfcoritlUry • and technical school;, i.H-.nii>er of tho Univorsity of Ne.v ZoflMkl, appojntwl by the Sonat°j iln< ! jncm-btT.'i appointed' by tho two to represent industrial intc>mste .;<vno of whom shall represent ngnwiltui e), and, pile (a woman; to represent- the interests of tho education of girls. T3ie tenn of office ivdl be three year-s. The Minister will appoint now members to vacancies with the exception <if the members appointed by etluciUion boartk which will have power to fill vacancies. The .annual meetings of the Council arc to take place in June, and ordinary meeting* when required by the -Minister. The duties of tho Board shall be to report upon any matters concerning the provision oi iacditics for education in New Zealand or in any district thereof, and upon the co-ordination of the work earned on the various- bodies controlling education, and upon any other matters in connection' with education, referred to it by tho Minister. In addition, district councils are to be sot up by iho Minister if he thinks fit. The : District Council will cor.eis-t of -five 1 members and will include the Director ! of Education, or any other officer of 1 the Education Department appointed I for that purpose by the Minister, wdio : shall bo chairman; a member of the i Coiienil Council of Education appoint- 1 eel by tho Education Board of the dis- i trict; tli-e Senior Inspector of the dis- ' triot; a member of the General Council. < appointed by the Minister to represent t the teachers of public schoob of the | Island in which the d!istrie,t is situated ; (

One or more other persons appointed by the Minister—namely, a reprcscnt-a.- • .tive of an urban' school district, or a representative of teachers of secondary a;'d technical schools, or any other person. Those councils should lie of great assist cuce to the Minister for Echicat tion iii bringing about better metluxk. 'Hie councils would have been more satisfactory had there been a few more j biis:no«> men oil each of them. Educational experts may be expected to regar:! one education system more from the academical standpoint than from the practical side. The business men would insist ir'-ou the necessity of educating the children for everyday life. Tir's aspect is in danger of being overlooked by'those composing the councils under the present scheme. Power is taken to subsidise money raised for school l-ibrarie.s and 1 for other purposes c-onnecte'l ..with primary schools. This will l>e of great assistance to all schools, but more especially to those in the country districts. The proposal,to p'nee inspectors under the central department should ho welcome to teacher*. The education district of Southland' will Ik> comprised of the counties of C'utha. Lake Fiord, AVallacc, Southland and Stewart Island and the? boroughs end town districts therein. This will mean that the Taranui, Ko'sa, Heriot, and Moa Flat. tvi-=*tr icts will remain in Otngo, while Clinton, Ba'clutha, Clydevale and CatKns will come into Southland. We do not think this will please anyone. Had l«ie Department included TaY-tniii and the district up to Moa Flat in Southland and left Clinton, Ralclutha and Catlins in Otago it. would have been more satisfactory arid have

.given flip community of interest which is so es-sontmi in gootl .local government. rjir, boundaries of the (Minnies, as wo have many times pointed 0n.;., rccjuijc alteration. Conditions have so materially altered in the rast -10 years tha-t what was at one time. oncn. country i? now closely .set lied 1 and the central points- of the "various communities have changed. Hie proposed boundaries are artificial and therefore will not be acceptable to the people. 'Hie alteration in tin. l method' of electing Education Boaid member." whore the urban districts have to amalgamate will be more costlv but move democratic and •the same may be said of the. election of .spiiool mitU'cs in these contrtva. Schoolteachers will receive an addition to tlu'ir salaries. it id small but the total will be large and as much ia>> the country can afford at presem. 'l'he prov:Sfons for transfers u« other districts and lor laying the foundation of colonial: grading should be welcome lo the pro!eiision, as they open up a larger outlook for promotion. ~ The Bill provider better finances for secondary schools but imposes conditions in regard to them which will largely nullify the eilect, and tin l same may ho (--aid rcgardim>; the amendment of education' boards' finances and their responsibilities to school committees. 1 iie measure evidence.'! a large amount of laltor and 1 painstaking effect in Vespect cf dotail by tho Minister and his; staff. It has to bo considered; by tho Education Committee, which will in all probalility alter sonic of the minor provisions bat it is uniikely that .my material alteration wJ.ll be made in it.