AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTORS

Taranaki Daily News, 21 June 1928, Page 12

AGRICULTURAL INSTRUCTORS

CONTROL BY THE DEPARTMENT. PROTEST FROM TARANAKI BOARD. Strong protests were made by the Taranaki Education Board yesterday at a statement regarding agricultural instructors made to the Council of Education by the director (Mr. T. B. Strong). According" to a Press report, he had complained that the present control of the instructors militated against efficiency'. He pointed out that in one district there was a far larger proportion of instructors to the school population than was the case in Auckland and other districts. He suggested the instructors should be under the control of the department. Mr. S. G. Smith said that if the director had referred to Taranaki in his statement he was unfair in not having placed before the council the board’s full and complete reply to the Minister when the matter was previously' brought up by the department. Mr, Strong had said that if the instructors could afford to pay 23 visits to one school, then obviously that particular district was overstaffed. Mr. Smith pointed out that if this referred to the Manaia District High School, the position was that it was not an ordinary case. The secondary assistant there had not been qualified to teach science and the instructor had to teach there. Some action was necessary in this matter, for the department might bring down a regulation affecting the position. The board was emphatically’ of the opinion that the instructors should remain under the control of the board. Mr. White believed the department was entirely wrong In its view. It was better for the board to weigh up the local conditions. It had used its instructors for definite teaching in addition to just making inspections to see what the teachers were doing. He did not know, however, whether much good would be done by the board in kicking against a brick wall. Personally he thought the department had already made up its mind that the administration of agricultural instruction should be uniform throughout the Dominion. There was a different system in Auckland, but obviously Taranaki could not use its three instructors in the same manner if it had such a large district to cover as Auckland. Unless the boards were allowed individual action the only’ alternative was to bring Taranaki into line with other boards. Mr. Smith pointed out that although Auckland was the largest education district in New Zealand, it contained the largest city population, amongst whom there was’no chance of proper agricultural instruotion. Mr. White contended that even so, there was a big disparity between the rural populations of Auckland and Taranaki. Mr. Smith said this province was more thickly populated in rural districts than any other province. Mr. White felt the board should endeavour to place its views before Mr. T. U. Wells, its representative on the Council of Education. He had a big voice on the council. , , It was decided that the Minister should be advised of the board’s regret that its objections against the proposed change of control were not placed before the council.