EDUCATION IN DOMINION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19104, 27 August 1936, Page 5

EDUCATION IN DOMINION

DEVELOPMENT PLANNED EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COUNTRY AND CITY PUPILS (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The annual report of the Education Department, while mainly statistical, mentions future developments, stating that it will be the aim of the Government to restore as soon as possible educational facilities that were curtailed during the past few years. The Government "will address itself to a scheme of improvement and ultimately the reorganisation of the education system. The survey made in 1930 by the Parliamentary recess education committee will be brought up to date and a plan of reorganisation will be adopted within a reasonable period. In the development, of the system, provision will be made for liberal and suitable education for all young people of the Dominion. Every endeavour will be made to give country children the same educational advantages as those enjoyed by children who reside in the cities. ■ The consolidation of. the education Acts and regulations is long overdue and this matter also.will come up lor review as soon as possible. The need for better school buildings is realised, and an effort will be made to overtake work that must be carried out in the matter of new schools and the maintenance of existing ones. Another question that will receive attention as soon as opportunity offers is that of improvements to school' grounds.

The importance of the work performed bv school committees, and home and school associations is fully .recognised, and is warmly appreciated by the Government. It is felt that some better pro-vision-should be- made to augment the incidental expenses of school committees. Every endeavour will be made to provide "for a substantial increase.

At present there is no provision for conveyance, other than by rail, of children attending post-primary schools. This question is to be investigated in the direction of exploring the possibilities of helping with road conveyance and also with regard to the payment of boarding allowance to children compelled to live away from home in order to attend post-primary schools. It is proposed to make provision for the issue of free school books to postprimary pupils whose parents are in necessitous circumstances, a concession which how obtains only in the case oi primary school pupils.