EDUCATION CONTROL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20620, 19 July 1930, Page 13

EDUCATION CONTROL.

THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT.

ATTACK BY MR. A. BURNS.

" COMPLETE CENTRALISATION." BOARDS IN NAME ONLY. "With all their important functions gono and the district superintendent enforcing the department's will and policy, the boards will bo boards in name only. To all intents and purposes centralisation will be complete and (here will bo diminished local interest and a consequent lessening of efficiency," said the chairman of the Auckland Board, Mr. A. Burns, yesterday, in a considered statement upon section 11. of the report of the Parliamentary Education Committee, in which drastic administrative changes are proposed. "Summed up, as far as administration is concerned, the proposals, stripped of camouflage, mean loss of local control and centralisation in Wellington." Mr. Burns remarked that a great deal of evidence appeared to have been heard upon the questions dealt with in section I. of the report, and the recommendations of the- committee were apparently well-con-sidered. Mr. Strong's Predilection. "It would seem, however, that the same consideration and thought have not been devoted to section 11., dealing with administration," he continued. "The evidence governing the conclusion arrived at by the committee seems to be chiefly that of the Director of Education, Mr. T. B. Strong. The question of unification of control was quite freely discussed when the committee was taking evidence, but the powers and duties of the proposed boards appear to have been discreetly kept in the background. "The director, Mr. Strong, has always been in favour of the abolition of boards and of absolute centralisation, and it seems strange that in such circumstances his proposals embodied in this report were not submitted to the boards so that members of the committee could have heard the arguments against centralisation from men who represent the committees, and who for years have identified themselves with education board work." Over-complex Regulations.

It was significant that since 1916 the administrative cost of boards had increased by slightly over 50 per cent., but the administrative costs of the department had increased 200 per cent, said Mr. Burns. If the administrative cost of education was high it was due to tho multiplicity, complexity and faulty drafting of regulations which made interpretation difficult and created unnecessary work. These regulations had all been made by the department. The real remedy for nearly every objection raised by the department was simplification of the regulations and their clarification, a simple salary scheme and a simpler classification of teachers At present even lawyers were frequently in difficulty with education regulations arid law. The experience of the past had been that a centralised Government service was expensive. However, Mr. Strong's arguments seemed to have convinced the committee. The report stated : "The committee is genuinely desirous that boards should occupy a dignified and important place in the new system, and its recommendation that there should bo a single educational authority within each area unit of administration is designed for this express purpose." " Dignified and Important."

"And in order that boards may occupy this 'dignified and important' place," remarked Mr. Burns, "it is proposed that all important functions, such as appointment of teachers, payment of salaries, planning and erection and maintenance of school buildings, purchasing of sites, etc., shall be taken away and the following duties assigned to them : " "Ihe organisation and co-ordination of the schools—a worthy and responsible task; the disbursement of the proposed bursary fund; the establishment of a vocational guidance organisation (with a departmental officer in charge); the consolidation of schools; the development of agricultural education; the organisation of district education libraries, to which the board will require to give much earnest consideration and which will afford wide scope for their organising powers.' "A departmental officer, to be known as district superintendent, is to be chief executive officer, and he, together with the Government nominees on the board, will dominate the policy. This means absolute departmental control. Minister's Change of Front.

"Ihe importance of the powers and duties of tho new boards can be gauged from the fact that it is proposed to hold board meetings, house officials and records, etc., in a room in a school. The inward and outward letters of tho Auckland Board number about 100,000 per year. It is ovident that even a portion of this cannot bo dealt with under the above conditions, and must bo forwarded to Wellington. Hiis will mean delay and an increase in tho central staff at headquarters.

At tho education boards' conference last year tho Minister stated that he was in favour of retaining boards and of increasing their powers," concluded Mr. Burns. "It is difficult to reconcile his statement with the recommendation contained in this report. "If the wholo reason for the proposed abolition, for that is what the proposals amount to, is, as would appear, economv, then every fact and figure bearing upon the question, and the estimated cost, should be forthcoming and submitted to critical examination before any action is taken. Instead of nebulous generalities exact data should be supplied. Every board should have full opportunity of refuting the serious attack upon the former administration. Parliament is being asked to effect a change without details of the proposed substitution."