EDUCATION REPORT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 8 December 1930, Page 8

EDUCATION REPORT

THE HON. W. H. McINTYRE REPLIES TO MINISTER The Hon. W. H. Mclntyre, chairman of tli? Nelson Education Hoard, .states: "I have just received a copy of the Nelson "Evening Mail" of 3rd December, in which the Hon. Harry Atmore, Minister of Education, makes an extremely weak attempt to justify the proposal to make the senior inspector the secretary of the proposed new education boards. The Hon. Mr Atmore says my deductions are wrong, but 1 wish to point out that every education board in the Dominion is of the same opinion as my board in this matter. It is absurd to assume that the senior inspector would prove a success as an education board secretary simply because a few technical high school principals have occupied the dual position of director and secretary. The amount of administrative work connected with a technical high school board is infinitesimal as he acts as secretary to one small board controlling one school dealing with one phase of education, while the secretary of the proposed new education boards will be the chief executive officer to a board controlling at least 150 schools dealing with primary, secondary and technical education. The director of a technical high school of under 100 pupils receives a considerably higher salary than the headmaster of the largest primary school in the Dominion with a roll number of 950 pupils and should devote the whole of his time to directing the school. The cost of education board administration has been the subject of much criticism by the Minister of Education, and yet I notice that according to his own annual report for last year the total amount paid to the nine education boards for administration on account of 2597 schools, accommodating 217,961 pupils, amounted to £39,148, while the amount paid for incidental expenses on behalf of 15,448 pupils at 38 technical centres amounted to no less a sum than £39,561, and no exception taken to it. • "It is difficult for me to understand how the Hon. Mr Atmore believes that senior inspectors have any control over education boards. The senior inspectors are the board's expert advisers regarding the manner in which schools are being conducted and advise the board accordingly. Education boards have complete autonomy over their own affairs and are not 'subordinate' to the senior inspector on one single matter.'