Education Act Inquiry

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 82, 7 April 1938, Page 8

Education Act Inquiry

School Committees’ Opinions BOARD FOR PALMERSTON NORTH? Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. Evidence on behalf of the Dominion Federation of School Committees' Associations of New Zealand was presented in the afternoon by Messrs F. H. Porter (chairman) and J. Fyfe (a member of the federation's Parliamentary Committee). Mr. Porter said that on the whole the federation agreed with most of the clauses in the Bill, especially those dealing with the unification of primary and post-primary education. It considered that Palmerston North and Greymouth should have education boards of their own. It did not approve of a teacher engaged in the profession being elected to boards. It agreed that teachers should have representation on boards but from outside their own ranks. The federation, Mr. Porter said, was in favour of annual elections of school councils, with half the members retiring each year. This would give a continuity of work on the councils. It was in favour of the school leaving age being raised to 15 years, as it was in the interests of the children. Mr. C. R. Petrie (Government-Hau-raki): What could be done to give school councils more power? Mr. Porter: "It is the Minister's aim to introduce a system of adult education. We consider that, if the school councils became the local centre for working, they would have more wide powers, and it would give a little bit inore status to them. "The school these days is the natural centre of the community, and the school council would be the natural body round which to centre that activity."