EDUCATION CHANGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20624, 24 July 1930, Page 12

EDUCATION CHANGES.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL POSITION. CONSIDERATION BY BOARD. FEARS OF CENTRALISATION. The changes in the education syslom and the control of education, proposed in the Select Committee's report to Parliament, were discussed in committeo at a meeting of the Auckland Grammar School Board yesterday. A report on the proposals submitted by tho chairman, Professor A. P. W. Thomas, was considered and it was decided that this should bo amended and circulated among members of Parliament and secondary school boards. The following resolution was carried:— "That the board is of opinion that the efficiency of the groat secondary schools of Auckland will inevitably be gravely impaired by tho proposed changes in the education system. The essence of the system will bo a levelling-down and a complete centralisation of authority in Wellington. The board considers that equality of opportunity for all classes and tho resulting pre-emincnco of the most intellectual pupils, irrespective of class, to bo the essence of democracy, and that the results of the Auckland Grammar Schools are the best tribute to the existing system of control." COPIES OF THE REPORT. FEW MADE AVAILABLE. ALLEGATION OF DISCOURTESY. Educational bodies in Auckland are finding it difficult to consider thoroughly tho report of the Education Committee to Parliament owing to tho fact that copies of the report have not been mado available to them.

At a meeting of the Auckland Grammar School Board yesterday, Mr. A. Burns asked whether any copy had been received by tlio board. The reply was received that no copy of the report had been forwarded.

"Why in the name of common justice ■should copies not have been sent to educational bodies V* asked Mr. Burns. "Hero is a board which has beon functioning admirably for numbers of years, and it receives 110 copy of a report which proposes that it should be abolished. Surely this is a great discourtesy to the local controlling bodies." From inquiries made, it was learned that the Auckland Education Board received only one copy, which was for the chairman, Mr. Burns. When an urgent request was made for additional copies for consideration by members, the reply was received from the Minister that no further copies were available. The board of managers of the Seddon Memorial Technical College received a copy, but this was through the courtesy of the Hon. J. B. Donald, representative of the district in which the college stands. No copy was made available for the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute, and the branch is having difficulty in forming an opinion on the proposals. A sub-committee has been set up by the branch to consider the report, but it was with some difficulty that, a copy of it could bo obtained. The Thames High School Board has been placed in a similar position through receiving no copy.