EDUCATION POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21803, 18 May 1934, Page 10

EDUCATION POLICY

MINISTER IN DEFENCE EXTRAVAGANT CRITICISM ENTRY AGE CONTROVERSY [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION*] WELLINGTON, Thursday A spirited reply to criticism of the Government in excluding five-year-old children from tho schools was mado bv the Minister of Education, the Hon. R. Masters, this evening, when a deputation placed before him a number of resolutions passed recently by school committees in tho Wellington Province. The Minister outlined tho reason for the Government's policy and said it had never occurred to him that any chili was going to suffer moral deterioration as a result of being homo with its mother. Some very extravagant statements had been made as to tho effect that exclusion from school was likoly to have upon children under the ago of six. It had even boon suggested by a speaker at the recent conference of tho New Zealand Educational Institute, held in Wellington, that tho present system encouraged child slavery. What was worse was that nobody had refuted tho suggestion, which was a direct insult to farmers. A Veiled Argument

Members of the Auckland Headmasters' Association, the Minister said, had alleged that the change would result in an increaso in juvenile delinquency. "Now if these people would only come out and be straight and honest and say, 'this affects the Grading of our schools as well as our salaries and we want tho thing altered,' we would know whero we stood," Mr. Masters said. "Instead of doing that, however, they wrap their argument up in a different kind of stuff. If the.v aro embarking on an agitation for an increase in salary, well, let us haye it." Mr. Masters said he did not think it could be claimed from a medical point of view that children were suffering an injustice by being kept out of tho schools until they had reached tho ago of six. Tho department felt that the experimoiib was worth a trial and it was too early yet to come to a decision whether it was a success or failure. It had been freely stated that since the change was made, chddrcn were going into private schools by tho hundred. A Voice: That is quite true. Private School Attendances

Mr. Masters said that the statistics proved otherwise. The records showed that there were 44 private registered schools in the Wellington and Marlborough Provinces, and it was inteiesting to find that in the infant classes, there were 190 children fewer than there were last year. This, ho thought, was an effective reply to the argument, that private schools were being overIn replying to a request for smaller classes, "the Minister said he did not think it was generally known that great progress had been made in Isew 9P"" land in recent years in reducing the number of pupils taught by individual teachers. To reduce all classes to 00 in average attendance or in roll number would involve an increase in the number of teachers, thereby causing greater expenditure on salaries and training, and also an increase in the capital cost in many schools because of tho additional accommodation which would be required. This year the employment of teachers under the rationing scheme had _ reduced the size of classes very considerably, there being now three times as many classes under 31 as there were in 1932, and one-tenth as many classes over CO as there were in the same year. Minimising Staff Changes 011 tho question of staffing, the Minister said he was quite prepared to admit that undue changes caused a great amount of inconvenience in schools, and he was hopeful that this would bo minimised in the future. An attempt to remedy tho position had been made recently when a condition was included in tho regulations that a teacher must stay two Decembers in one school. It had boon urged that it should not bo necessary for a Readier to bo transferred from school to school in order to gain grading marks, but it should be borne in mind that an infant mistress, for example, was paid her salary because she was an infant mistress and therefore a specialist in her work, and not because she happened to be Miss Brown or Miss Smith.

Dealing capitation grants the Minister said that when economy measures were enforced, the position of tho primary schools was taken into consideration and no reduction was made. Moreover, a sum of £3OOO was allowed to education boards to vote to schools where special circumstances arose. The expenditure on school committee allowances in 1932-33 was £104,516, in 1933-34 £104,218, and for this year £IOI,OOO. It appeared there would he a further decrease in future on account of the falling off in school attendances. It was a fact that there would be attending schools in 1936 0000 fewer children than there wero to-day. Materials for Handwork A Member: To what is that attributable? The lower birth rate? The Minister: Yes. Another Member: Hasn't tho exclusion of tho five-year-olds something to do with it? (Laughter.) Mr. Masters said he pronosed to ask the Cabinet to grant an additional sum this year for the purchase of materials for handwork in schools. In referring to the employment of teachers, ho defended the policy adopted by the department and said he was satisfied to accept tho views of teachers rather than those of a school committee. He hoped that in 1937 there would be no unemployment among teachers. He had no regrets about closing the. four training colleges, and as soon as better wages could be paid to teachers, they would be paid. Mr. Masters said ho was confident that the interest taken in school committee elections this year was due to (lie alteration made in the term of office. He thought it was realised that a continuity of policy was desirable.