Patea & Waverley Press MONDAY, APRIL 14, 1930. SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

Patea Mail, Volume LI, 14 April 1930, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press MONDAY, APRIL 14, 1930. SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

Tilly evening householders throughout the Wanganui Education Hoard’s district will be called upon to elect School Committees for their respective districts for the current year. In view of the importance of the training of the young, who will be the citizens of the future, every householder should endeavour to at(end tlie meeting with a view to the best committee possible being elected, and not as is unfortunately the ease iu some instances, allow the election of the committee to go by default. New Zealaud, iu spite of what some unthinking persons may say to the cont rary, has one of the finest education -systems in the world, as is shown by the fact that New Zealanders as a people are morally, physically, and intellectually second to none. This has been proved over and over again, particularly in the Great War, which was the greatest crucible by which live characters of men could be tried. An education which produces men of the stamp of the New Zealanders .who fought at Gallipoli and on the ‘Western Front' is not a system to be despised; on the contrary, it is one iliat deserves the support of every householder who takes a pride in his country. The maintenance of such a system obviously requires money, and whilst much is accomplished with the funds allotted by Parliament, much still remains to be done it the system is to be maintained at a high standard. L’he Education Department’s operations have to be restricted to a certain extent by reason of the fact that the funds available for education purposes are not unlimited. As a consequence, the public, through the various School Commit tees, are frequently called upon to complete or carry out entirely works that iu an older country would in a 1.1 probability be carried out by the State. The establishment of dental clinics furnishes an illustration of this point. If the Government were to establish straightaway dental clinics in every town the cost to the eouut ry would bo prohibitive. To enable more dental clinics to be established sooner than would otherwise lie the case the people are asked to contribute towards the cost of their establishment, and rightly so. IF the people are unwilling to help themselves by contributing towards the cost oE such useful institutions as dental clinics, then the Department cannot- be blamed if it leaves these towns alone and establishes the clinics elsewhere. Pa tea has been singularly fortunate in having a clinic established for the benefit of the children of the town and sur-

rounding districts, and it is to be hoped that the committees will see that it does not languish for lack of funds. Money expended in furthering the national system of education is money ■well spent, and no one should begrudge it or any labour entailed in assisting the authorities. A system that ,nas turned out men like the heroes of Anzac is a system that deserves well at the hands of all. We hope that householders will realise this and see that no meetings to be held to-night for the purpose of electing School Committees lapse for want of a quorum.