THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1914. THE EDUCATION BILL.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13598, 7 October 1914, Page 4

THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1914. THE EDUCATION BILL.

It is unfortunate that a measure of bucli impor|&ace,,afi the.JEduoation Bill should be dealt with by* Parliament at a time whenit ia difficult for that body to rive undivided attention to general legislation. Parliament has accomplished little work since the- war broke out, .and. in $& press of Bills--which the Prime- Minister has declared his intention to place on the Statute Book in-the short time that remains, it is evident that those of the first impm-t----ancu cannot 2'ecoive the attention they should. The Education Bill was referred to a Select Committee, which reported it in the House last week, with some important amendments, which do not, however, affect the main principles of the measure. Tho most important suggestion made by the Committee deals with the Minister's proposal concerning the redefinition of the boundaries of educational districts, and the consequent reduction in the number of tlite Education Boards. The original -schedule provided for a reduction of the number of Education Boards from thirteen to nine, by extension of boundaries and amalgamation of isoiife^of^th© leas import-ant <3istriets. This schedule has been deleted by the Committee, and it is now proposed that "there shall be eight or nine education districts, which shall be d^rtermined ...by the (governor on the. report of a "Commission to bo set up on that behalf." The limitation it is proposedl to place upon the functions of this Commission appears to us to be a mistake. The object of- the enlargement of education districts is to effect a more equal distribution of schools of the various grades, and therefore increase the opportunities open to teachers of receiving due promotion in their own districts. The Education Commission which investigated the wnofa system in 1912 •recommended that thenumber of districts should be fixed at £ye, that number, in its opinion, best meeting the consideration already mentioned. The boundaries of the nine districts proposed in the Bill-.we're so arranged as to partially defeat this object of the reduction, and in other respects would produce, in some, cases, .area, s very difficult .to administer. The work of a Commission restricted to eight or nine districts would probably not result any more satisfactorily. The Minister's proposals as to the establishment of an advisory Council of Education^ and also di stricticoalScilf sla^e b'eeh retained by the Committee, with a few minor alterations. The Council "of Education is to consist of two representatives of Education Boards, one each from the North and the South Island, one representative of male certificated teachers in the North Island and one from the South, one representative elected by th© male teachers of secondary and technical schools, one selected by the women teachers in each-island, one by the women teachers of secondary and technical schools and one representative selected by the University of New Zealand. Apart from these- three outside members will be appointed, two to represent the industrial interests and onethe agricultural interests. The Council will be presided over by the InspectorGeneral of Schools, or, as that official is designated by the Bill, the Director of Education. The Council is to be a purely advisory body, meeting periodically. The necessity for the creation of district advisory councils of a similar nature is not very ..evident. The provision fora central inspectorate* is retained by the Committee, with aa additional suggestion that salaries be placed on the scale of the professional class in the public service. The method of election 6f Education Boards proposed by the Bill has not been favourably received by the Committee, which adheres to election by . school committees. The Committee also proposes to give school committees power to permit school buildings to be utilised outside school hours for purposes of moral and religious instruction, which would facilitate the extension of the Nelson system. A niore liberal system of allowances to school committees is also proposed. j