LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 10 March 1933, Page 6

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

DEBATE ON EDUCATION BILL (l'roin “The ALiilV’ Parliameiiiary Reporter). WELLINGTON,, 'l'liLs Day. In tiie Legislative Council the Wait«i)gi Endowment Bill and Reserves itiid Other Lands Disposal Bill were passed without debate. Moving the second reading of the Education Amendment Bill, the Hon R. Masters said the provision for the establishment of intermediate schools was a step in the right direction as it was at these schools the child’s aptitude Could he best discovered. It was the intention to establish these schools throughout the Dominion as opportunities permitted. A clause providing for the punishment of teachers was simply placing teachers on the same footing as the rest of the civil service. The Bill provided for the enrolment of children at the beginning of the term in which they attained the age of six, and power was takeh to compulsorily enrol subnormal children in special classes. There had been criticism of the clause aiming at the synchronisation of holidays of primary and secondary schools on the ground that it was tending towards centralisation, but there was no desire to fix the same holidays for the whole of the Dominion and the department would work in with the wishes of different boards. The Hon W. H. Mclntyre said ho Tcgretted more opportunity had not been given for consideration of the Bill which contained several important principles. However, lie wished to compliment the Minister on the able way he had administered the Department. He considered the duties of the Director of Education should be confined to educational matters only and that he should have no power to deal with expenditure. The provisions in the Bill giving power to suspend or fine teachers were an insult to the profession and it would have been better if the Minister had taken powers to deal with teachers who were spreading Communistic literature.

The Hon. C. J. Carrington urged that education in intermediate schools should he given a greater agricultural bias.

Mr Masters in reply said if the disciplinary powers in the Bill were an insult to the profession then the whole of the civil service was insulted they were on the same footing. He had no power to deal with those having Communistic tendencies hut the boards which employed them might he able to do something. The Bill was put through all stages and passed without further debate. The Local Legislation Bill and Government Railways Amendment Bill were passed without debate and the Council rose at 10.55 p.m. until 10 o’clock this morning.