THE NORTHWARD TREND

Otago Witness, Issue 3514, 19 July 1921, Page 22

THE NORTHWARD TREND

QUESTION OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. WELLINGTON. July 14. ’ C'Mihnii;mis m;u keel iin iuaso in 1110 population °f ’he North as compared with Otar or to- .Scull Island, and its bearing m 011 education, formed a subject of dieccssion at a meeting of the local University ..onego ( 011 it-tl, and it was resolved that nt y. \v Ot me present concent ration of • lecrr. schools in ihe South Islands Colrv'lf'. 11 1 ,| 'A 1 V bl, ‘ that ihe North Island -o ego? should have the preference in the establishment o' future spo, u.l schools. -- I lie question v. as brought up bv Professor Hunter, who suggested that the Government should be urged io 'place the proposed Forestry School at Auckland. 1 rofessor Hunter stated that at present the Gi.-.go College possessed special schools in medicine, dentistry, home science, and mining. Canterbury had special seboo’s in engineering, mechanical, civil, and electrical, and there was a special school of icidturo at Lincoln College in Canternury 1 11 Auckland there was a special eCiiqpl of mines, although at present it was practically moribund. “ The policy of the conn■ 1.” said Professor Hunter, “ has been ™at the authorities should investigate the not in the interests of a part, hut in the interests of the whole of New Zealand.” ITe added that ten or twelve years ago the Government had been asked to call a conference, but nothing had been done. The result was that in the North Island there were no special schools, and it was now an open rumour that the new School of Forestrv was 10 be given to Canterbury. Professor Hunter went on to omphas’.ce the necessity for special schoo’s in connection with the various colleges of the Now Zealand Univeivily. “Here.” he said, “ we have a college in the centre of the great W ellington district. which stretched from Marlborough to Taranaki, find it is impossible to interest the people in the. college activities unless a special school is created. In Otago, the presence of IHe School of Mod’cine has made people look to IHo T’nivorsity of Otago. Students look back and people are interested, and want to know something of the Univers’ty.” Referring to a school of agriculture. he asked whether peonle would not look in a different, way at Victoria College wr-io the special school in that, branch in Vell ngton. the centre for training in agriculture. “The drift of ponulation i« to the norib ” he said. “The Auckland University College, it Ls staffd. serves a district in which there are 330.000 pe cons. Victoria College serves 420.000. and Otago and Canterbury serve only 200.000 each. Thus mnro people ore served by the University GolWc in Wdlincrton than there are in the Otago and Canterbury d’Mriets.” Ho emphasised l hat he was nol urging that special already in existence in the south, should be given un and allocated to the north. Economically it would he wrong if a policy of concentration of special schools took place in the South Island. It would result in the Government being called on to allot bursaries t.r> intending students from the North Island, and worse, there would he hound to he a cry for the establishment of simPar schools in northern colleges. That would he a great danger. Wed run and efficient special schools in New Zealand, where a student could get. Ihe b'«t traning. could never he created were the resuh of concentration to he dunheation.” Mr T? M‘CaUum, M.P. for Wairan. took up Ihe argument for the south. “ Why have they a special school in Otago.he a«ked. “"Because the people there pushed for it. What does Wellington deserve?” TTe added that <r ifts to the Of: go Unive-'*itv totalled a very considerable sum. What had Wellington done? Thev had a nolicv of help ng themse’vcs in th rt smith, and it was an excellent policy. C"tntovhnr V was anxious that support should 1 >•-> gh-on to the district in order to gain the of Forestry. TTe was pH- against ihe school being given to Auckhard The rn;c«t.ion should only he cons’d- red after exoo'tc had h en consulted. P ( rhar.<s the school might he placed in Vplson or Marlborough. Professor Adam c on deprecated the vaFlns* ~f the erv no - fli versus c outh. 7 t was the rof ’h' Victoria C'T rv e Council io look favou’.ahlv at the cctpbl’Vhment of Hjl cfkcnT. TT O rp Trued to the r>cf*ihbshmerd of - special • 1 •-'>! of law at Vic-t-v- r d Professorial P-wrd of Victoria CH- ], ( r-< 1) ic pypt’pcif'd the opinion that thH 1 in v hich agrionh w-T ■ml pastor d interests arc smrpmp. «honVl he given a. r.f fin-doiltiiv''. TTH he l; oi- 0 d *hat : n r-o-movnEoil with fh - ct'- ff of the t:t r d aod t.« e X r>rrimentnl. Ay.vimvm and UUilßppvj’E r-o-dfj carried on* - hero move '-ffoctively and mo"e rcouemh-dlv P-m elsewhere.