OPPOSITION TO CHANGE

Southland Times, Issue 23512, 19 May 1938, Page 4

OPPOSITION TO CHANGE

FATE OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS PROPOSALS CRITICIZED AT ANNUAL DINNER Opposition to the proposed alterations in the control of secondary schools as they affected the Southland Technical College was expressed by Mr L. A. Blackmore in proposing the toast of the Board of Governors at the annual dinner of the Technical College Old Students’ Association last night. Mr Blackmore said it had come to his knowledge that the Government contemplated a change in the control of the school. The suggestion was that the control should be handed over to the Education Board of the district. , “Well,” he said, “it may be a move in the right direction and it may save the chairman’s honorarium, but I feel that we will lose contact with those men who have devoted their time to the college. If we have not a board of our own to control our own affairs we are going to lose that policy which was carried out with the one object of advancing our own school. The Southland Technical College has made its mark, and the community wants the present system. Why can’t we have it? We hope the suggested change will not come about.” ' Mr J. H. Reed (chairman of the board) said that he received no honorarium as chairman.

Speaking of the Education Amendment Bill, Mr Reed said the board had done its best for the school. Technical education was a branch it had studied and it would be a pity to “swap horses in the middle of the stream.’’ If there were to be, as he hoped, additions to the school buildings, he would like to see completed the work which he considered the board had so effectively started.