EDUCATION REFORM.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 251, 18 September 1930, Page 8

EDUCATION REFORM.

EARLY CONFERENCE WANTED

YVANGANUI BOARD’S OPINION

YVlietlier the annual conference of Education Boards should be held soon, or whether it should be delayed for a time, was discussed by the Wanganui Education Board yesterday, reports the YVanganui Chronicle.

Mr J. K. Hornblow held that it would be wiser to wait a little as the Minister of Education intended to tour the country to explain the purport of the Recess Committee’s report on education. “If the conference is held later on,” he said, “there will be an opportunity to discuss what he may raise during his peregrinations through the country.” “I disagree with that entirely,” said Mr J. S. Tingey. “The Recess Committee has issued a voluminous report and the Minister of Education will no doubt perambulate the country and speak on the lines of the report itself. The conference should be held before his peregrinations so that he will know what the Education Boards think. If there is any thing new raised by the Minister there will be plenty of time after the conference for the boards to give their opinions on it.'” Mr Hornblow: I thought of being able to fire the last shot.

The chairman (Mr YV. A. Collins) YY’e will fire the last shot as it is.

Continuing, Mr Tingey expressed regret that he had not been able to attend the recent special meeting of tho board when the secretary (Mr W. H. Swanger) had submitted a report on the Recess Committee’s recommendations with regard to administration. He thought the secretary deserving of congratulations for the very clear manner in which he had shown that the committee’s assumption that centralisation would result in economy, had not been proved. Mr Swanger had also shown that under centralisation local interest would decrease. The chairman: The Minister says that it is not centralisation.

Mr Tingey: He may say so, but the report indicates it. Mr W. Adams thought that the sooner the conference was held the better. When the Minister stumped the country it was for the board members to attend his meetings and stand up to him with questions. At the Technical Education Conference it looked as though the delegates were afraid to stand up to him. “They talked too much before he arrived,” Mr Adams added. “They were done when he got there.” (Laughter). It was decided .to recommend an early conference date.