EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3611, 29 May 1923, Page 47

EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

A MINISTERIAL REVIEW. WELLINGTON, May 16. Hie Hon. C. J. Parr (Aliuister of P.ducai ion), in an address to the New Zealand Educational Institute, put some pointed questions to tile conference. Mr Pair said that educational expenditure had increased 150 per cent, since 1913, an-d now totalled about £3,300,000 per annum. Of this sum over £2,000,000 went out in salaries and wages to teachers, inspectors, and oflic als. i lie sum was large, but he thought it, was not too large at all. Critics, however, frequently asked him whether the taxpayer was getting value for his money. Addressing the teachers, Afr Parr asked: Are our primary sctioois efficient? Is the teaching sound? Is the product of to-day as satisfactory as the product of 20 or 50 years ago? The answer,” said the Minister, “is that on the whole we nave made progress. I believe that the pupil, as evolved from the primary school to-day, is more intelligent, more resourceful, and more self-reliant than the pupil ot 30 years ago. But there are some un doubted weaknesses to which I would cull your attention. A little self-examination will do us ail good, and I am bound to say that 1 am not satisfied with what is being done in some subjects.” rhe Minister said, in answering his own questions, that he thought sound progress had been made and unit the teaching on tiie whole was satisfactory. There were, however, blemishes. _ It was his and thenduty to get together ami improve the weak _spots. lie asked for the coming year that a special effort might be made — first, for more mechanical accuracy in arithmetic; secondly, lor more thorough instruction ill history • and thirdly, he hoped to place before the institute proposals for the improvement of singing, which was not satisfactory in the majority of the schools. May 18. T he lion. C. J. Parr (Minister of Education), addressing the Secondary Schools’ Association, said he had had the unfortunate experience of deputations throughout the morning, all of which wanted more money, fortunately, he had a fellow-sufferer in the person of the Prime Aliuister. The demands included £70.000 for the Girls’ Collo.go, and llie Technical College wanted £50,000 —qmto small amounts. ’The truth was that New Zealand had succeeded to a heritage of past neglect. Up till now lucre had not been sufficient money available, and now there was a passion for education, and everyone wanted new schools, lie had in some three years spent £434,000 °n buildings, compared with £BO,OOO to £l'jo,ooo in past years. The emoluments of teachers had been increased by £219 in the case of male principals, and £145 in the case of women. Since 1914 the male assistants’ salaries had been increased by 59 per cent., and those of the women assistants by more. Thus, on these figures he could ela im that some progress had been made in the past three years.