EDUCATION MATTERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3339, 13 March 1918, Page 7

EDUCATION MATTERS.

SPEECH BY THE MINISTER, WELLINGTON, March 6. . Speaking at the opening of an addition to the Karori School this afternoon, the Minister of Education said that demands were being made for new schools, and blame was being attached to the Education Department for not providing money to enable old and out-of-date buildings to bo replaced. The duty of replacing worn-out schools was not an obligation on the deEartment, as since 1903 the department ad provided an annual vote for that, based on the number of years allowed for the life of a wooden building, and a percentage of the capital value, and the boards had substantial balances in hand for replacements. It had been pointed out to the Minister that certain schools had been allowed to fall into disrepair. The Education Department paid an anniial grant to the boards for maintenance. He wanted to make these facts clear in order that the people might understand the position of the department, and the blame should not always bo placed on the shoulders of the Minister. Dealing with the vexed question of school books, the Minister said that the parents of children attending the secondary schools had the most reason for complaints. He thought that too much freedom in the matter of the selection of books had been allowed. The controlling authorities now had control over the selection. He had a certain amount of control over the books for the primary schools because ho had to approve of a list from which books might be adopted by boards.with the approval of inspectors. Regarding the payment of teachers., he said the scale of salaries of primary school teachers was fixed by statute, but he had little control over the salaries of secondary school teachers, and all ho could do was to see that these teachers were paid certain minimum salaries, the fixing of the minimum being loft entirely to the high school authorities. He had through the Government and Parliament _ made provision for large sums for education, and lie thought it desirable that the Education Department, through the Minister, should have power to exercise more supervision over the expenditure in the interests of the taxpayers. It was not correct that the education vote had been cut down, as last year's estimates showed a substantial increase on those- for the previous year.