Educational.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1914, Page 5

Educational.

REDUCING THS BOARDS.

AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION, At yesterday's meeting of the Tara- i naki Education Board, the inspectors' (Messrs Ballantyne and Whetter) placed before the Board the following statement of their views regarding the proposal to reduce the number of educaion boards' in the Dominion :—During the last session of Parliament, the Education Committee suggested that the number of boards should be reduced to eight or nine. The consensus of opinion of those who have studied-the question is that there should be nine boards in preference to eight—four for the youth Island and live for the North. In the South Island on the school rolls at the end of 1912 there were roughly 72,000 children while the corresponding number in the North Island for the same year was 96,000. If the South Island were divided into four education boards each board would have under its control 18,000 children, and if the North Island were divided into five education districts each board would have control of 19,000. Another point in favor of tin's division is that a more equable allotment in the number of schools would result. For 1912 the total number of schools in the South Island was in round numbers 1000, and in the North Island 1200. If the Dominion were divided into nine boards as suggested there would accordingly be 250 schools in each district. Again, by the adoption of nine boards the promotion areas could be more equitably adjusted as far as promotion to the larger schools wat concerned. In the South Island there was a total of 51 schools in grade 8, and upwards; that would mean 12 of these schools to each of the four districts. In the North Island the number of such schools was 61—-that is also 12 to eacli of the five districts. A more important factor, however, in the determination of areas of promotions is that each district may have about the same number of schools that offer a fair salary and which the majority of teachers may reasonably look forward to for promotion, namely, these in grades IV to VII inclusive. [ln the South Island there were 335 lof these schools—B4. to each of the proposed four districts—whilst in the North Island there were. '421—85 tc each of the proposed'fiVe'districts. Wo are submitting mans to give some in (Mention of how.'the North may be more equally divided into five dis tricts than it is at present, on the basis of the 1911 population. In tht Auckland district., there would be 8 total population of 179,672, in the Wellington 126,14.0,, in Wauganui 88,369, in HawkeV Bay 81,616, and Taranaki 81,784. It may seem strange that the Wellington and Auckland districts have been allotted , considerably more than tlie other districts, but this is unavoidable as these districts include the cities. A difficulty in mapping out the education districts will be to provide adequatadministration of the back-block are. around Lake Taupo. This district by our division is fairly well catered for by three boards. Taranaki. Hawke's Bay and Wanganui. ,*Ar examination of the map will show that the means of communication bv railway, coach, etc., have been give" due consideration. We would prefo' to have made the division on the school population and on the number and grade of 1 the schools in each country, but though we have applie:' to the Education and other Departments we have not been able to get the desired information. We would respectfully ask the Board to place the matter before the Minister of Education when he visits New Ply : mouth this week.'

Mr Morton said the proposal outlined was absurd. It would include in Taranaki, Cambridge, Hamilton, and Huntly, with the Raglan and'.Waikato ..counties, simply because the division was on a population basis. The most weighty consideration should have been contiguity, community of interest and communication. Mr Kennedy said the population basis was the only one, where school attendance, statistics were not available. He would, however, suggest cutting out Waikato and Raglan counties. The chairman pointed out that the scheme was merely tentative. 11 the Board were not prepared to amalgamation with Wanganui, it must put forward some scheme which was feasible economically; and from the point of view of the teachers the larger the area the better the teachers' (hances. He, was, however, not wedded to 'this scheme. Whether it was worth while placing it before the Minister-was another matter. Mr Ballantyne defended the scheme on the question of community of interest and means of communication. The population basis was the only one the inspectors had had to work on. The inclusion of the Waikato would bring in a number of grade IV schools, whieli, would be an advantage; to teachers. Mr Morion was afraid that to place such an impossible proposition before the Minister would be to court refusal. There would lie a strong objection to it in the Waikato and Haglan districts. There was no doubt that when the matter came before the next session of Parliament an attempt would be made to wipe out the Taranaki Board. When the Board resumed in the evening, it was decided to lay before the Hon. Jss. Allen, Minister for Education, the scheme drawn up by

die inspectors, except that the three northern counties should he excluded from the proposed new district. Mr Trimblej in • introducing the juestion, said that the proposal was to extend the Tarannki education district to the Kawhia Harbor in the north and to Patea in the south, thus baking in parts of the Auckland and Wangalmi districts. The Tarauaki Education Board was anxious to preserve its identity. •.. . The Minister said that the Department was at present working on the matter. The reason for deciding to alter the boundaries of the districts was to give teachers a better career than they now had in some of the small districts. ]f the number of education districts were reduced, on© district would have to go. He asked if Mr Trimble agreed with the Education Committee's policy: Mr Trimble said he did if it provided nine districts for the Dominion, in which case he submitted there should be five in the North Island. Mr Whetter explained the maps drawn up by the Inspectors. ,:' The Minister said the number of education districts must be reduced, but at the same time he hoped Tarauaki would not 1)0 sacrificed. He would take the Inspectors' scheme and their maps ami consider tho whole question.—"Xews."