GOVERNMENT’S POLICY

Southland Times, Issue 21820, 24 September 1932, Page 4

GOVERNMENT’S POLICY

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.

DANGER OF FALSE ECONOMY.

A note of warning regarding . the danger of the Government’s policy in educational matters developing into one of false economy was sounded by the chairman of the Southland Education Board (Mr S. Rice) when returning thanks at the monthly meeting yesterday for his election as chairman for the ensuing two years. “It occurs to me that this economy epidemic requires immediate treatment or it will prove disastrous to this young country,” said Mr Rice. “Cut out wastefulness and overlapping by all means, but, if you cut so deep that the efficiency of a service is impaired, it is no longer economy. I sincerely trust the Government will not be stampeded into faulty legislation .by false ideas of economy. The Minister of Education has a great responsibility to posterity, and we can only trust that he will be wisely guided in his deliberations,” he continued. The child should be his first consideration—as it is ours —and nothing should be done to adversely affect the individuality, to curb the initiative or impare the glorious heritage of. independence we New Zealand.ers enjoy. lam fearful’that the traditions established and the interest created by the close co-operation of school committees, parents and education boards in the welfare of schools under their jurisdiction will diminish if a soulless department assumes control of education in New Zealand. The centralization of control under an autocratic departmental head will alienate the great interest at present taken by a large section of the people in educational matters, and our children will suffer. The splendid work of committees, boards and the public generally in the improvement of the environment of our schools will tend to perish through apathy, and our schools, in which we take so much pride, will become mere factories for turning out so many human machines, with heads perhaps, but no hearts. “The British race is steeped in traditions—traditions engendered by our great schools—and we in this Britain of the South are building up our traditions and the character of our young race and country, I maintain that it is not the dry academic side of school life, but the general environment of the school—its traditions, the association of the children with each other, the discipline and tone of the school—that really counts in character building. Nature never rhymes her children or makes two alike—they are living, palpitating bits of humanity, each one varying from the other, impressionable, and absorbing into their lives the environment of their school. Do r.ot let your vision be obscured by the fog of depression and pessimism—the struggle of life is becoming harder as time goes on. The world to-day is a rough quarry and out of it our children must hew stones for the building of the temple of to-morrow. Let us help them so that the temple may be a real though invisible temple, its foundations laid deep in character, its walls of the solid stuff of genuine manhood and womanhood, its roof the sacred dome of truth. This is our task, gentlemen.’’ (Applause.)