EDUCATION REPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20642, 14 August 1930, Page 12

EDUCATION REPORT.

DEFENCE BY MINISTER. REPLY TO CRITICISM. [BY TELEGRAPH.-—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The Minister of Education, the Hon. H. Atmore, speaking at tho laying of the foundation stone of gome now classrooms at Nelson Girls' College, referred to criticism directed by tho college governors against the unification proposals contained in the Education Report. Tho Minister expressed regret that the governors ha'd made criticism on advico that was not founded on facts connected with the Education Committee's real proposals.

While 'there was an outstanding necessity for unification of control, which tins committee had fairly met in its proposals, tho committee was strongly against the abolition of all existing boards, postprimary as well as primary, and was not in favour of a completely centralised department in direct contact with the schools, as suggested by ono of the, principal witnesses who gavo evidence before tho committee.

Tho committeo, said Mr. Atmoro, set out to oxploro every possible avenuo that might offer a prospect of reducing the admittedly excessive administrative cost of tho system without saorificing tho principle of local interest and authority, on which it set a very high value. It appeared to him that the choice for. tho jNolson College authorities lay between tho adoption of a composite school'curri-' culuin or standing up "to vcay' 'effectivo competition on tho part of the Technical ;School, which had been rather neglected ;in tho past.