OTAGO HIGH SCHOOLS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 16

OTAGO HIGH SCHOOLS.

Part of the business of the Otago Education Board on the 29th ult. was the appointment of representatives to the Otago High Schools Board of Governors and the Waitaki High School Board, and the occasion was taken advantage of by several members to express their opinion concerning the present constitution of these secondary educational institutions. The Rev. P. B. Fraser said he had no wish to reflect on the members of the Otago High School Board of Governors individually, but he wished to speak about the constitution. of the board. The board was lacking in progre6siveness, their methods were antiquated, and they lagged behind other boards in the colony, whioh. were useful and up to date. The High Schools of Dunedin were practically representative j of the whole province, yet they were , managed in a way quite behind^the times, t and quite inadequate for the purposes they , 6ought to serve. The parents were not j represented in any way on the personnel j of the board. The same men were elected i thereto year in and year out, and that ] me-ant " drift." It wa s becoming impera- t tivo that the school and its^ management j be brought thoroughly up to date, otherwise j education would suffer. j Mr Mitchell said that nothing could be { worse than the state of things in connec- } tion with the Waitaki High School Board, t Its constitution consisted of the Mayor of t Oamaru, the chairman of the County i Council, a member of the Education Board, j and two Government nominees. The ' j parents of the pupils the people mOSt i \ directly concerned in the school— had no ' c voice at all in its management. ' s The Hon. Mr Fergus deprecated any t attack on the members of these boards, s He, however, complained of the inundation c of public bodies with Government nominees, r who were able to control to a large extent 1 many matters of public interest without E being public representatives. This was, however, a matter of Government policy. As for high school boards, an expression of opinion would avail them little, yet the,!

matter was one requiring serious considera'* tion, thought, and' discussion. The Chairman did not think such a discussion was resultless. Brought before the Minister, it might influence him in making! changes in the direction desired. The subject was then allowed to drop.