THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 1932. THE TRAINING COLLEGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21598, 19 March 1932, Page 10

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 1932. THE TRAINING COLLEGE.

The proposal of the National Expenditure Commission to close the Training College in Dunedin, as well as that in Wellington, has excited a good deal of comment. It is necessarily based on the consideration of the saving that may be effected. For the financial year 1930-31 the cost of the Training Colleges was £172,815. In 1930 each student who was trained for teaching cost the country £142, or more than twelve times as much as the average primary school pupil. In all probability, the public is convinced that too much is paid out to Training College students in allowances, and is prepared to support a reduction in an expenditure of this description. Even were times more flourishing than they arc, it is very doubtful whether it would be wise to continue payments at the present scale. Some aspects of the question which were presented in the report approved by the Education Board this week are not immediately germane to the economy objective. No doubt the closing of the College would mean the loss of some £35,000 annually disbursed in Dunedin per medium of students and staff. No doubt, also, the University would lose a considerable number of students and a considerable revenue —in the Arts and Science faculties, a total sum of about £ISOO. Moreover, the traditional prestige of Otago in education will be somewhat diminished if the Training College is closed. But these considerations do not meet the exigencies of the case. Local patriotism must merge itself in national patriotism. The one question is, What is the best thing to do in the interests of the whole of New Zealand? If it can be shown that the abolition of the two colleges will bring about a saving of only a few hundred pounds then it would be most unwise to close these institutions. The figures prepared by those who have gone into the matter indicate that the saving that could be made by closing the Dunedin College and transferring students and staff elsewhere would be £3OOO. But against this there would be the cost of travelling expenses of students from Southland and Otago to- another centre, plus the boarding allowance for those away from home —a total of new expenditure which may be estimated as amounting to £2BOO. This shows a saving of £2OO only—a sum quite inadequate, we suggest, to justify so drastic an operation as the amputation of a very important member of the body educational. It has to he further noted that the Principal of the Training College has stated that the saving which would result from the closing of the institution has been overestimated by some hundreds of pounds. Before the final step is taken the local authorities concerned should obtain from the Minister a detailed statement of the savings he anticipates. These could then be compared with the local estimates, and a decision could be reached on the basis of figures that might readily be verified. The fact that more students have been trained than are at present required is not the fault of the Training College principals, who merely take the number of students allocated to them. The training of teachers must go on. Nobody contemplates a return to the old conditions. It has been estimated that by 1934 it will again be necessary to have about 1100 students in training.

To another aspect of this matter a slight allusion only was made in the Education Board’s report. It relates to the possible saving of expense, and the retention of the College, by some form of amalgamation with the University. There are lecturers in the Training College who are performing work that is being done also in the University. Obviously a great saving can be made here. The larger question involved as to whether the University can and should take over the College is one to be looked into by the academic authorities in each centre. A conference has already been held in Wellington to draw up j a scheme that might be advantageously adopted with this end in view. It is patent that a large saving can be effected if a plan of this nature took definite shape. It is absurd to ; have duplication of work involving an unnecessary expenditure of considerable volume. On the educa- j tional side it would, no doubt, j be a difficult task for the Univer- !

sity to take over the Training 1 College. As, however, it has been possible to bridge the gap to some extent in many of the British Universities it should be practicable for New Zealand to work out a scheme that would suit her own needs, whereby the Training College would come wholly or in part under the direction of a University department of education. This scheme would secure a better academic training for teachers without enfeebling the practical training in the teaching art. The public of Otago does not want to lose the Training College. Either of the two schemes we have mentioned —the reduction of expenses under existing conditions or the linking-up of the College with the University —might preserve it. It is unlikely that sentiment, tradition and even educational efficiency will weigh with the Government as much as the certainty of a greatly reduced expenditure would.