SCHOOL COMMITTEES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22963, 19 August 1936, Page 15

SCHOOL COMMITTEES

DOMINION FEDERATION OF ASSOCIATIONS THIRD ANNUAL CONFERENCE SESSION OPENED IN DUNEDIN The third annual conference of the Dominion Federation of School Committee Associations of New Zealand was opened in the Dunedin City Council Chambers last evening, a large number of delegates from all parts of New Zealand being in attendance. The president of the Otago School Committees Association (Mr R. S. Vercoe) was in the chair, and there were present:— Messrs W. H. Fortune, C. S. Morris (Auckland), J. D. Robb. J. Garcia (North Taranaki), W. G. Black (Mana-watu-Oroua), F. H. Porter (Wellington), A. E. Morgan (West Coast), T. H. Nuttall, R. S. H. Buchanan (Canterbury), E. Laflerty (South Canterbury), T. Walker (Southland), J. D. Clyde, and the Rev. Hugh Graham (Otago). Central Taranaki, South Taranaki, Wellington, and Manawatu were also represented by proxy by Messrs J. Adamson, G. Rutherford, G. S. Warwick, and M. R. Robson respectively. WELCOME TO DELEGATES On behalf of the Otago School Committees’ Association, the president extended a cordial welcome to the delegates to the third annual conference of the Dominion Federation of School Committee Associations of New Zealand. He trusted they would find their stay in Dunedin a pleasant and profitable one to themselves and of benefit to the associations they represented. Dunedin was proud of its educational institutions, and he hoped that before they left, delegates would have the opportunity of visiting those institutions as well as the business organisations of the city. He expressed the hope that much good would result from this, the third, conference of the federation. — (Applause.) Mr W. H. Fortune (Auckland) thanked the president for the welcome he had extended to the visiting delegates, and assured him that they would co-operate wholeheartedly to bring about the disposal of the lengthy agenda \yith all due despatch. The delegates were also indebted to the Mayor and councillors of Dunedin for their courtesy in placing the Council Chambers at their disposal. Later in the evening the Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox) attended the meeting, and also extended a welcome to the delegates on behalf of the city of Dunedin. ' The city, he said, purposed to do for them everything which would help to make their stay pleasant and successful. It was probable that few, if any, of them were strangers to Dunedin, as the population of the Dominion was fond of travel, and for that reason he would like to remark that the people were not provincial in outlook in any part of the country, and were not parochial in their ideas. The School Committees’ Associations in New Zealand worked for the foundations of education—namely, the primary schools—and if the foundations of a building were laid wisely and well, then the building itself would stand. Their work was highly valued by all thinking people, for in laying a sound foundation for the educational structure of the country they were ensuring the success of the more advanced sphere of educational activity. In conclusion, he expressed the hope that the delegates’ visit to Dunedin would be a pleasant one, and that their discussions would be fruitful. The chairman of the Otago Education Board (Mr James Wallace) expressed thanks for the invitation extended to the members of the board to be present at the conference, and said that the co-operation existing between the Otago Education Board and the school committees of Otago was very real indeed. Members of the board had in many cases been school committee members themselves, and they knew what it was to have the ear of the board as committeemen. Each committee had the chance of making its school the best in the district, both outside and inside, and in. this respect the school committees or Otago were doing' very well. They had raised a lot of money in the past, and would probably continue to do so in the future, now that the Government in the goodness of its heart had restored the subsidies. He urged all committeemen to work in with the headmasters, for while the latter were responsible for the academic side of the school work, the committees had almost equally important duties in caring for the cleanliness and amenities of the schools. THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

The past year had been one of great difficulty from the administrative point of view, said the president in his address to the conference. The political situation had precluded much activity on the part of the federation, for there had been little permanence in either the political or the educational world. It was said that scnool committeemen had had so much power filched from them that they were now no more than glorified cadgers, and that many had consequently retired from the field. His contention, however, was that school committees constituted a very important part of the social structure of the Dominion. It was true that they did not now have so much administrative power as in the past, but with the change in Governments and consequently in Ministers of Education, it was now more necessary than ever that there should be a responsible body through which the needs of the children could be placed before the authorities. Those who took an interest in the work of school -committees took pride in the though* that they were helping to mould the potential leaders of the State, and were helping to further the education of those who would ultimately carry on the destinies of the Dominion. There had been times when lack of finance and other circumstances had been very disheartening, but they now felt that they had the support of one of the most sympathetic and understanding Ministers of Education it ha'd been their privilege to approach. Mr P. Fraser was a man with a true humanitarian outlook, which had been proved by the measures he had taken since he took the portfolio. The grants to school committees had been increased, the question of the five-year-olds had been settled, training colleges had been reopened to provide sufficient teachers to allow a reduction of the size of classes, and the number of trainees for dental clinics had been increased When they considered these accomplishments they felt that they could face their future work with optimism, for the Minister was sincere in his efforts and desires to help the committees which had been carrying on a difficult work during the past few years.

While the Dominion Federation was considering reforms and was looking for financial assistance, Mr Vcrcoe continued, it should not become narrow in it outlook, for it should remember that the children were not finished with their education when they loft the primary schools, but had to undergo a wider training to fit them for valuable citizenship. It was true that schools and school teachers’ residences were sadly in need of attention, but a building programme was also necessary among the secondary schools and universities, and the Minister was faced with a tremendous task, in which the federation should co-operate. He paid a tribute to the loyal cooperation and support of his executive during the past year and expressed high appreciation of the work carried out by the secretary (Mr H. H. Johnson). Especial thanks were also due to the Parliamentary Committee, which had worked loyally throughout the year. In conclusion, he expressed 'ho hope that delegates would find a common meeting ground in the conference for the sake of the children they represented. so that they could express to the Education Department with one

voice their views and opinions on the education system in New Zealand. — (Applause.) On the motion of Mr Buchanan, seconded by Mr Fortune, it was decided that the chairman’s address be printed and circularised among the various associations, Messrs Black and Morris also speaking in commendatory terms of the work of the executive during the past year. PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE

Mr F. H. Porter reported on the work of the Parliamentary Committee, and said that for various reasons very little had been done. It had intended to place the findings of the previous conference before the former Minister of Education, but had been advised by the Dominion Executive to wait, and had thus been able to place the various questions before the new Minister on a fresh fooling. Mr Fraser had received them very sympathetically and disclosed a desire to learn everything he could about the work of school committees, finally giving an assurance that he would not make any policy changes without first consulting the federation. The committee had also been responsible for the compilation of a questionnaire for the parliamentary candidates in the last elections, and had presented the Auckland Association’s petition for the five-year-olds before the House of Representatives. The Minister of Transport (Mr R. Semple), who was keenly interested in the problem of securing safety on the roads, had decided to call a conference of interested bodies in Wellington on Friday next and had invited the Parliamentary Committee to be present and discuss the evidence which would bo placed before the conference. The committee recommended that Messrs N. A. Ingram and A. Parlane should represent it at the conference, and expressed gratification at the action of the Minister in inviting the committee to be represented at such a meeting. Mr Porter stressed the value of a central Parliamentary Committee in Wellington, stating that there would shortly be considerable activity in educational matters, and that it was essential that some members of the committee should be permanent residents in Wellington. ■ The report was adopted, and the members of the ' committee were thanked for their work. The committee's recommendation that Messrs Ingram and Parlane should represent it at the conference called by the Minister of Transport was approved. INCORPORATION REJECTED

The president reported that the question of incorporation had been discussed by the executive, which had forwarded the recommendation that such a step be not proceeded with.— The recommendation was adopted unanimously. The conference then adjourned until this morning.