MONEY FOR SCHOOLS

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1930, Page 11

MONEY FOR SCHOOLS

THE EDUCATION VOTE.

TEACHERS OPPOSE "CUT.”

The standing committee of the New Zealand Federation of Teachers met at Wellington on Saturday to consider certain important data forwarded for discussion by the president of the federation (Mr. F. Milner, C.M.G.). There were present Mr. F. Martyn Renner (chairman), Miss McGill, Messrs. Ashbridge, Jones, James, Farquhar, Jackson, Wilson and Evans. After its deliberations the committee decided to issue a statement, which says, in part:— “The Federation of New Zealand Teachers considers that education is intimately connected with most of the great problems that are exercising the people of this country to-day —the defence question, the financial stringency and the economic conditions. Increased production, it is confidently stated, will solve the financial and economic problems and it is to education of the modern type and of the right type that the country is looking to obtain that increased production. The Minister in his various addresses to members has convinced them that he has that object in view, and the federation hopes that he will be given every assistance in carrying out his ideas. ' “The Mother Country, in-spite of her huge burden of taxation, has not only not reduced the education vote but h *• actually increased it, for the simple reason that she recognises what an injustice would be done to those children who would otherwise be deprived of the benefits of education in a time of financial stringency. The plain fact of the matter is that England has increased her education vote by £3,000,000 to 45% millions. Simultaneously local education authorities have increased their expenditure from 77 millions to millions, making a grand total of 125 millions spent on education by England and Wales in 1930.

. “The report of the English Board of Education for the year ended December 31, 1929, indicates what lias been accomplished in order to realise the more modern typo of education. The Hadow Report has been completely affirmed and a nation-wide reorganisation of schools in accordance with that report has been begun—a programme of extraordinary magnitude and yet carried out with every confidence in spite of the pressing financial anxiety. The number of school classes with more than 50 pupils has been reduced from 16,686 to 10,883. Over 1000 additional trainees have been admitted in the training colleges in anticipation of their immediate expansion. Plans for 15,000 new free-places in secondary schools have been approved, and 100 additional State scholarships established. Consolidation of schools in rural areas has been affirmed, as well as the principle that all schools should have adequate playing fields,