ARE THEY WISE?

Southland Times, Issue 21659, 22 March 1932, Page 8

ARE THEY WISE?

EDUCATION ECONOMIES CENTRALIZATION PLAN CONDEMNED MR R. M. STRANG’S VIEWS Comments on, and criticism of, the suggestions brought forward by the Economy Commission regarding education administration in New Zealand were made to a Southland Times representative yesterday by Mr R. M. Strang, chairman of the High Schools’ Board and the Waihopai School Committee. Mr St/ang made it clear when approached by the reporter that the, opinions he expressed were purely his own and not those of the bodies of which he was chairman. “In dealing with this matter,” said Mr Strang, "one must have in mind the necessity for care in expenditure. At the same time it must be recognized that normal conditions will return, and it is undesirable to bririg about any changes in the system of control if these changes are not going to be for the best. We have to guard against this emergency causing human needs to be sacrificed to material gain. In other words we must not penalize the children of to-day and do them irreparable harm for the rest of their lives. “In the first place I am of the opinion that centralization of control is not in the best interests of education in New Zealand. Under the system which exists here we have local boards which pay personal attention to the needs of the schools under their jurisdiction. Members are in close touch with, the schools and consequently are able to sympathize with and live with all the institutions under their control. Furthermore the boards, with the assistance of committees, are able to keep alive the interest of parents and the public generally. This would not be accomplished to anything like the same extent if the control were centralized in the Department in Wellington. The opinion of wellknown educationists on this aspect is worth quoting. Mr Tate's Comment. “In reporting to the Education Department of Victoria after his visit to New Zealand in 1904, Mr F. Tate, Director of Education in Victoria, had the following remarks to make under the heading ‘Public Interest in Education’: ‘One fact which strikes the most casual observer is the intense interest taken by the public of New Zealand in educational questions. There is little doubt that this is due mainly to the system of local management. In Victoria the school is the “gtate School” and its efficiency or inefficiency is a concern of a far-off, slow-moving department. The most ordinary concerns, such as the erection of a fence or a porch, a couple of coats of paint, are matters for inspection and report and interminable delays. In New Zealand the school is regarded by the people of a district as “our school”; the provincial board and the local committee, both representing the householders, are responsible for keeping the building in repair, for providing for the comfort of teacher and children, and for maintaining the efficiency of their school. This public interest is reflected in the speeches of public men and in newspaper articles.’ ” Another Authority. Mr Strang also quoted briefly from a report made in 1903 by Mr P. Goyen, senior inspector of schools in Otago, after a visit to New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Mr Goyen, originally a Victorian teacher himself, said: ■That it (centralization) should have survived so long (in Victoria) the strenuous, intelligent criticism that has been levelled against it is proof of the difficulty of moving a great department and of the unwisdom of centralizing in one city the entire management of ■ a nation’s education. And mere inertia is not the only evil of centralization: another is its blighting effect on local interest. In New Zealand everybody is interested in education because everybody shares in its management. Every school has its committee elected by the householders of the district; every member of a committee has a vote for the members of the education board of the education district; and subject to the general regulations of the Department of Education the education board controls the educational affairs of the district. The cycle is thus complete, and local interest is a living part of the system.’ ■ Costs of Administration. “One has to consider,” continued Mr Strang, “whether we are paying too much for the efficiency which we undoubtedly have. It has been stated in the report of the Economy Commission that the cost of administration per pupil in New Zealand is 9/2; in New South Wales 5/4, in Victoria 4/- and in Queensland 4/1. One would naturally like to know if the same items were included in all cases when these costs were compiled. Mr W. H. Mclntyre, M.L.C., as chairman of the Nelson Education Board in September, 1930, submitted a criticism of the Recess Education Committee’s report. In this criticism the following appears:

“While dealing with New South Wales it is noticed on page 40 of the Education Committee’s report that the cost of administration is given as 5/4 per pupil and this is used to compare New Zealand’s cost unfavourably. In the report of the Minister of Public Instruction for New South Wales for the year 1&27, table E. 43 shows the cost of administration as 8/5 per pupil on the average roll and 9/9 per pupil in average attendance. Some explanation is required of this discrepancy.’ “I should like to place before you the cost of administration of the schools under the care of the Southland Girls’ and Boys’ High Schools Board,” said Mr Strang. “Here are the figures:

"If you analyze the expenditure . on administration for, say, the year 1931, you find that office salaries totalled £46 5/—, office expenses £55 19/2, legal and sundries £5 9/2, interest and unauthorized 15/6 and members’ expenses 12/3. It is interesting to note that during the same period 19271931 the board has been active in assisting the department financially. While it cost £685 14/11 in these five years in administration, in the same period £583 11/11 was raised voluntarily through the efforts of the board and the schools. Parents’ Associations. "In regard to the commission’s suggestion that parents’ associations should be formed to take up the work of boards and stimulate local interest, all I can say is that the gentlemen on the commission are extremely optimistic,” said Mr Strang. "Those associations existing at present have the boards behind them, it must be remembered. Let me quote again from Mr Goyen on this point: ‘ln Victoria and the other Australian States there are no school committees and no education boards, for the boards of advice answer to neither, and, so far as I could gather, have not a whit of influence, whether for good or for

evil. The department is everything and its influence everywhere, and every school is regarded not as a local institution in which every resident has a living interest, but as part and parcel of a huge machine controlled from the capital city. For more than a quarter of a century the people have had little or no part in the government of their schools, and naturally they have in great measure ceased to take an active interest in either their intellectual or their material welfare.’ What of the School Spirit? "A point which causes me grave concern”, continued Mr Strang, “is the effect of centralization on the spirit of our schools. Traditions are cherished and fostered by boards and committees, and it is no exaggeration to say that the school spirit plays a great part in the success of an institution. If centralization comes, _ I .ear that much of this esprit-de-corps will vanish. "I do not think that it is in my province to criticize the department at this juncture in regard to administration costs, hough I have tried to show that it is not die fault of boards that the figure is ‘ as nigh as 9/2 per pupil as stated in the . eport. It has, however, to be remembered .hat if the department takes over the control of all schools it will have, to greatly .ncrease its staff. What is going to be the cost of this? How much will the oluminous correspondence cost which centralization must entail? What will be the costs of visits of inspections made to property? At present the administration of endowments is carried out most efficiently jecause there are on the boards members qualified to give excellent advice. The ooards get this advice for nothing, since not one member of the board receives a penny piece for his services. “It seems that the commission has had one thing in view—and that is to cut down expense. Take the suggestion to reduce r.he allowance to school committees by 10 per cent., and let me cite the position .if the Waihopai School Committee as an example of how the suggestion works. This ■•onimittee has three buildings and two playgrounds to look after. It receives from the department through the board ipproximately £2OO a year. It costs £llO .or a caretaker and approximately £BO for fuel. The balance has to be spent in repairs to buildings, in supplying certain stationery and in paying for all other incidental charges. Obviously the committee cannot carry on with the money given by the department. Last year parents subscribed £l5O for improvements and works about the schools.

“Many of the suggestions in the report, for example, the charge of 2/6 for the proficiency examination and the reduction of the age to 17 for secondary pupils, could oe called class legislation. Parents in a position to keep their child at school after 17 can do so; those who cannot pay must take their child away.” Opposed to 10 Per Cent. Cut. “What about the 10 per cent, salary cut?” asked the reporter. “Every reasonable person,” replied Mr Strang, “must agree that the first 10 per cent, cut was necessary, but the suggestion that a further cut should be made is one to which lam opposed. Manufacturers and business people will tell you that immediately following the last cut business was seriously affected. The result of a further cut would be still more severely felt by the industrial and retail firms. It will be followed by dismissals from staffs and an increase in unemployment. Retail business and industries have a heavy burden and a great responsibility to carry at present. A great reduction in output and a shrinkage of business are making it hard to keep even the present reduced staffs going. All should recognize the supreme need for assisting the primary industry, but it has also to be realized that the workers, the manufacturers and the retail business men have their very serious problems to face. They require the most sympathetic treatment by the Government. A 10 per cent, cut, particularly to those on lower salaries, is going to have a disheartening and crippling effect. While we must recognize that there is a limited amount of money available, yet those in power must put in the forefront the fact that ‘every economic problem, dealing as it does with human beings, involves also a moral problem.’ “Finally let me say that I consider it neither fair nor reasonable that the civil servants should be criticized as they have been by anonymous correspondents. Many of these correspondents point to the civil servant as a loafing, useless encumbrance on the State. This is manifestly unfair, because only a small percentage of civil servants fail to give reasonable service. Perhaps the authors of the letters wrote out of ignorance. If they wished to advocate a reduction in the cost of the Civil Service they should suggest that it be done in a way that is fair to all who have been engaged by the State.”

Total Cost. Cost Per Pupil. Year. £ s. d. 1927 136 12 9 5/5 1928 149 1 0 5/10 1929 172 2 1 6/3 1930 114 18 0 4/1931 113 1 1 3/9