SECONDARY EDUCATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 13 October 1922, Page 4

SECONDARY EDUCATION

(From oar Parliamentary Correspondent) WELLINGTON, Oct. 12. A statement that there were far too many children attending the secondary schools of the Dominion was made in the House yesterday afternoon by Mr G. Witty (lliccarton) and was answered by the Minister of Education. , ‘The Minister stated that the second-, ary schools were the people’s, schools and anybody who advocated a reduction of the expenditure on such schools would be preaching an unpopular doctrine. The rich men sent their children to private schools and in providing free secondary education for 18,200 boys and girls the Government was catering'for the sons and daughters of the poorer members of the community, This year there were 1700‘more students at secondary schools than there were the. year before and he was glad to see the increase. 1 Mr Witty also objected to a large expenditure on what he Termed palatial secondary school buildings, and the Minister replied that such a remark did, not come well from a Christchurch member i seeing that the High School building there was a disgrace. , The Minister said it made him ashamed and its replacement by modern building would come first as far as the educational requirements of Christchurch were concerned. •