NEEDS OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17229, 4 August 1919, Page 7

NEEDS OF EDUCATION.

„ POSITION in Auckland. EFFORT FOR IMPROVEMENT; BOARD AND M.P.'S TO CONFER 'The \urgeiit;/need' for educational; re?; form in ITew Zealand, and in particular in the Auckland educational-district, is to be -'discussed at a conference "between the Auckland Education Board ; and mem- , hers '" of Parliament Representing consti- .; tuencies within 5 the Auckland 'education : district, to be.held in the board's ; office' .: on August 12. The holding of the con- i ference was decided upon,-at a recent ,- meeting pi the board, and the questions for discussion are outlisied in'' a -letter which .has -been sent to and . M.L.CL's from the' Auckland district. The letter {runs as follows:-- ' " ''"■' ' •'""'■ The board is persuaded, that the.greatest need of this oountiy during ih'e years of reconstruction is reform and education, fad^heves,,you can ; aid materially to that end. .The board .!wisHea-t6 discuss '■' with you the special requirements of your 1 own electorate,, and such questions of general importance as (ap bvercrowdmg in " schools, (b) private" buildings "used as schools, (c) ioiidequate playing areas, (d) ? °% teachers' residences, -(e). inadequate '. staffing of,,rscbools; (f) payment of tea- ■ chers. You will" bo supplied at the conM«?c\w^a»lis^:oi;the; requirements of ' tho schools within your electorate, and . suggestions will be made for'the improvement of the conditions .now obtaining. ; An estimate of the cost of making condi- ' ■ »Sf -.satisfactory .will also :i be 'supplied. . board is of opinion that the: De- i partment of Education is aympathetic ; towards the best interests of education, ' hut is seriously hampered because sufficient ■■ funds have not been provided to carry ,on the, important-work within its adnumstratioh; The board desires an•• < opportunity of }urging Auckland members to v work* m concert for the advantage of education, " and to take such, steps, in : Parbaraent as ,will result in a sum of : money being at once placed-on the Esti- ' mates sufficient to bring our schools into ' line with their requirements. r ; • ; Various points to be; considered .by the i conference -were discussed by the eecretary to the board, Mr. E. C. Purdie, in an interview last evening. He stated that the board'desired to obtain > a 'financisl vote ?of sufficient magnitude to enable it; to carry out tho far-reaching reform that ■ ..the- modern educationaljets had in view.? ■.._.. ~'.,■". '. ;»i ■;. ■ -..'.' ■' ''The board has ready a. quantity ; of data, «fontinued Mr. Purdie,,. "which will indicate with precision the number i of schools; that floor space lass than ; twelve square feet . per. pupil pre- ; scribed as ; ,a minimum by the Department..-, We. will .be; able, toilet ; members know tho number of schools that are now held in private,bnildings,. w'oich are more ':&■;■ Jess unsuited to techoo}. purposes;; A" table has been drawn up showing- the number;.. of schools in "the Auckland.education district that have in- 1 sufficient area. The attention of members will ,be drawa in detail to the number of rooms that are overcrowded and. to the i enormous classes, that are being. taught, sometimes- by. the assistant, but generally by,: an aassstant and : a : pupil-teacher. \ ;-*.*The-'staffing of tho schools will be'con*' * sidled also." . Mr. Purdie. stated that this would probably, the most' importantquestion for consideration. "A teacher can easily give a lesson to large class," ho said; "but he cannot really educate the child under his care.- - : :'■:-/ "The cost, of placing education on-a sound: footing in respect to school building* and their equipment," said Mr. Pur- ( die,, "will be enormous, and it is* to enable members to' become acquainted with the gravity of the position: as. it. now exists I hat the board has invited to diftcuss tbo question." The members of. the board ■ believe that every member •of • Parliament 'who ir at all; able to do so will attend the conference, because there is no electorate in the Auckland district in which educational 1 facilities are not in urgent need of reform. An estimate of £3,000,000 bias recently given as the cost of the' building- programme - in connection with education necessary;: in "New Zealand. Be. fore the conference will navel prepared an estimate •of the cost of righting,' matters in the Auckland district, it will probably : be so; ere?* that it will startle our citipens when it is made ffnblic." » -