IMPROVEMENT IN EDUCATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 20 June 1931, Page 10

IMPROVEMENT IN EDUCATION

MINISTER’S REVIEW

MODERNISING DOMINION’S SYSTEM

The report of .llic Recess Committee on Education was explained in detail to members of llie Canterbury School Com - mil tees’ Association by the Minister of Education, the lion. 11. At more (reports the '‘Times"). The portions of (lie report dealing with primary schools wore especially dealt with. During his speech Mr At more said that if unification of control could lie obtained, most of the other reforms urged could he easily effected.

In leading up to the report, Mr Almore traced the. history of education in New Zealand. The New Zealand system was transplanted to this country by representatives! of the great English public schools, lie said. Those public schools bad been used to turn out a governing class. The system was mainly academic, and was not suited to the. needs of the Dominion. Dealing with the work of the Provincial Councils, Mr Almore said that, Canterbury lagged behind at first, but in Nelson. .Matthew Campbell and Alfred Domett, the pool, had many schools established very early in the history of that province. Statistics were quoted to show that while there was the provincial outlook in education, there were varying stages of development in different parts of the, country.

THE.FIRST CHANGE The change to a national system was a wise measure, added the Minister. The defects in the national system made an inquiry necessary. For the 252,000' pupils in the Stale schools and the 26,000 pupils in the private schools, the total cost to the 900,00!) adults of the Dominion was about £4,750,000 per annum. The cost appeared to be a huge sum, but the cost of education was not nearly so great as was the cost of ignorance. As a contrast, he pointed out that it cost £SOOO to kill each man who was killed in the war. To have peace was very expensive to-day, for there was distrust all over (he world. When the world was properly civilised, the schoolmaster would replace' the drill sergeant. Although it cost £SOOO to kill a man, it cost only £l2 10s a year to educate a boy in the primary schools, and £26 a year in the, secondary schools. Democracy could never be made safe unless it was an educated democracy. He had said "previously that England to-day was leading the whole ’world in education, and he. had bee..i challenged by a newspaper correspondent. An article in the “Scotsman” of June last year had stated that the secondary schools and universities of Scotland were overloaded with poor material. Scotland occupied a place in technical education, added the journal, which was a menaca to industry. The first- recommendation of the Education Committee was that the primary school course should end at the age of eleven plusi or at the end of the fourth standard, said Mr At more, in dealing with the report of the Parliamentary Committee. With that there was little fault to find and he quoted extracts from speeches made by authorities in approval of the recommendations. One of the finest examples of an intermediate school in New Zealand was the Kowliai School at Auckland, which was a very fine school indeed. EXTENSION OF SCHOOL AGE The recommendations urging the extension of the school age and consolidation were referred to by the Minister, who said the few would find any objection to them. Without consolidation, it v'as impossible to give adequate education to country children, who were entitled to the same degree of education as town children. The abolition of the scholarship system was necessary, as it enabled back-block boys and girls to be granted bursaries which w'oukl enable them to obtain secondary education. Un dcr the scholarship system, these country children could not get secondary education, because they could not afford to pay the boarding fees. The inclusion of teaching of agriculture in the school curriculum was strongly supported by the Minister, 'who pointed to Australia as an example of the too great development of secondary industries. This, he said, as well as the slump, was responsible for the troubles which beset that country to-day. Ho contended that it was .necessary that every boy and girl should pass out of the school with a full realisation that New Zealand depended on its primary industries. It had to be remembered that New Zealand’s secondary industries could never compete in the markets of the world with the products of the great manufacturing countries.

PROVISIONS FOR UNIFICATION The fclause in the Finance Act, providing for the unification of secondary schools under one body, was; explained by Mr At more. He said that there had been no compulsion in any of the unifications, but the clause bad been put in ,thc Act’to enable other bodies to come in if they so desired, lie was satisfied that unification was necessary and be thought, with the teachers, that all the reforms aimed at could be reached by unification. All the teachers’ organisations bad decided to federate. Not only on the grounds of cost, but also from the point of view of effective administration, unification of control was necessary. The Education Committee was strongly opposed to the abolition of all the boards, for if wasi fell that local interest was essential.

Speaking on the recommendation that a single inspectorate staff bo established, Mr Atmore said that that branch of the service should be more open to women than was at present the ease. While the present system lasted, lie was of opinion that there should be two more women inspectors.

DISPARITY IN SALARIES “There is a wicked disparity between the pay of the bead master of one of the largest primary schools and the pay of an assistant in a comparatively small secondary school,” said Mr Atmore in reiterating a promise that, when it was possible, the salaries of primary school head masters would be reviewed in order to make them more equitable as compared with the salaries of secondary school, assistant teachers. The recommendations vn regard to the appointment of teachers were 'reviewed by the Minister, who said that last year 258 additional teachers were appointed. Large classes prevented the teachers discovering the natural aptitude of the children. The work of reducing the size of classes by the appointment of additional teachers would be resumed ns: soon as it was possible. Last year a new record had been established for the number of classes which had been reduced in size. It was to be. ••egrelted that (be financial conditions ~Don’T make any mistake about it—a- “ Unique” Hot Water Bottle is the soundest invest incut von can make in sleep. The name is on (lie unleakablc stopper. , “Rickets prevented bv taking British Yeast-O-Cod Vitamine Tablets. Build sound bones, strong teeth. 3/-.—Nees, Chemist. Hardy-st. Healthy Children thrive on Red Diamond Rolled Oats. Nourishing, delicious. All grocers.