MODERN EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26289, 22 October 1946, Page 5

MODERN EDUCATION

AMBITIOUS SCHEME FOR NEW SOUTH WALES NEW ZEALANDER’S CONCEPT BASED ON DOMINION TRENDS (From C. R. Mentiplay, N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Oct. 21. In spite of material and labour shortages, New South Wales is thrusting ahead with an ambitious plan to extend and modernise the educational system. Faced at the outset with a legacy of ancient buildings, inadequate staffs and grounds, and the difficulties of obtaining finance, the authorities aim at bringing.the State to the forefront in educational progress. The instigator and prime mover of an ambitious five-year plan is the only New Zealand-born member of the New South Wales Legislature. Mr R. J. Heffron, Minister of Education and Child Welfare. Born in Thames 56 years ago, and educated at Auckland, he has represented the electorate of Botany in the Legislative Assembly since 1930. Perseverance Rewarded When he took over the portfolio in 1944, after a successful term as Minister of National Emergency Services, he lost no time in calling for a report on needed improvements and alterations on all school properties within the State. From this was evolved a five-year plan costing £33,500,000, which he told the House was the minimum required to bring the existing system into line with modern practice. Such has been his success that at present, out of £15,000,000 received annually by the State Government from the Commonwealth under the single system, £8,000,000 is being spent on education. / New Zealand is serving as a guide and model in many aspects of New South Wales educational development. At present State architects are studying designs evolved in New Zealand such as an all-weather school, which may be turned to face the sun or exclude wind, and the now familiar type in which one side of a classroom may be thrown open for the admission of air and sunlight. Mr Heffron is also interested in New Zealand Native schools, and particularly in those which feature the “ cottage home ” kind of instruction and its applied domestic science. He explained to me to-day that in its appli' cation to Australian mission school? this must raise the living standards of the aboriginals by demonstrating to them the undesirability of “ blackfella houses.” Though the State has 12,000 teachers, a survey reveals many classes of 45 and more pupils. He calculates that the teaching strength must’ be increased by 50 per cent, to allow of classes being reduced to 30 and under. Nevertheless. he is maintaining that there are no short cuts in teacher training. At present 2000 are being trained yearly until the shortage is relieved. W.E.A. System Adopted Youth colleges similar to the New Zealand Workers’ Educational Association are being opened as rapidly as classes and teachers can be arranged. The response has been amazing. It is realised now that “ youth college ” is a misnomer, for many 4>f the most enthusiastic students are people in their fifties and sixties. In the meantime, tuition is being carried out in school buildings, but eventually it is hoped that the colleges will have classrooms of their own. The crowning achievement, which is of the greatest importance to New Zealand as well as Australia, is the establishment of an Institute of Technology in Sydney, where lecturers of world class will train technicians and research men who at present have to go abroad to seek knowledge. Its work will be complementary to that of an enlarged and modernised university. Mr Heffron attributes his success in Australian politics to the fact that he was trained in the hard school of New Zealand Labour under Messrs Holland, Savage and Fraser.