COLLAR BIAS TO OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6947, 28 June 1929, Page 8

COLLAR BIAS TO OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

PARENTS HAVE NO VOICE

When referring to education in the course of his lecture last evening, riven under the auspices of the W.E.A., Mr. K. Ross regretted that there was so much apathy and almost opposition to anything in the nature of active work being done by parents. Ikera was no better way in which a parent could feel his and her responsibility along with the teacher in the development of the young mind. In many parts of New Zealand men and women had served faithfully on school committees for as long as 20 and 30 years, yet they were relegated to cleaning out the school, providing extras for the playground and the like. They had not a single ounce of responsibility wit.i anything that really counted m the education of their children and the present system of control and inspection prevented parents from having a direct initorost. The result had been an educational system that was quite apart from tho requirements of the people who were chiefly interested m primary production. New Zealand s educational system was suitable-for a manufacturing country—one that provided for professionals _ who could never be used. There was a wrong attitude, which was largely duo to the breaking away from the original idea that education should be tho responsibility of the parent . How they were going to get bade, Mr. said 0 did not know. Tho Minister of Education was out to do what he could and talked about agricultural education and improving the Attitude towards education, but uulc.ss ho could o-et tho parents behind tho national system, New Zealand would continue downhill. The position was a very serious one. . A little later, Mr. Ross voiced the opinion that the attitude of the people .towards Technical education was an indication as to what their hearts were sot on. There was just as much dignity in work done by the hand, as work done by the head. Technical schools wero often looked upou as inferior to High schools. That position would not have arisen if the public had been allowed more responsibility iu education and if the whole business had not been taken out of their hands and made a nationalised and centralised thing without a soul. To-day the honest worker, labourer and. farmer was was not accorded the position that was his due.