EDUCATION IN TARANAKI

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1930, Page 15

EDUCATION IN TARANAKI

CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE BOARD.

HON. S. C 4. SMITH RE-ELECTED.

As a tribute to his work in the cause cf education in Taranaki/ the Hon. S. G. Smith was yesterday unanimously Te-elected chairman of the Taranaki Education Board. In nominating Mr. Smith, for whom a letter had -been received apologising for his absence owing to pressure of Parliamentary Mr. P. J. H. yWrite said that while it might be perhaps unusual to propose a Cabinet Minister for that office, the position at present was somewhat unusual. He felt, and-he thought the members of the board were with him, that the present time was very critical as far as the administrative side of education was con- ‘ kerned. All associated with education realised that any move towards centralisation of control would be a retro- ' ’ grade step. Bureaucratic government was not popular - in self-governing Dominions,' and sonic of the proposals arising • out of the report of the recess committed were more than, bureaucratjc, savour-, ing almost of' dictatorship. The., board was ,unanimous , on . that, point" and felt -that!..it■>had .'Mr;.’Smith f ivlth it.. It wjnild 4 'be. a decided advantage to have Mr. Smith in .Wellington' while education was-in such a ?state df flux, knowing as hq did so well the mind of the board. All the members of the* board were keen educationists of ’long.- experience, so that- the business of the board would no.t /suffer , through. the ~ absence of the chairman. "• . • " ■Mr,- A. Lees, in seconding the motion, strongly- endorsed 'Mr. ...White’s views.' Sd'me- of the proposals in the .reportif carried out,., would’ have ‘it far-reaching effedt.' ;! ' Of there must be" a number ; of good features. The Taranaki board, however, was particularly concerned with the: (tendency • to ■ centralise' . cointrol and with the Opaku reserves, which might be confiscated. Mr. Smith’s views on those questions were widely known, and it was therefore desirable that he should be'kept in his present position until they saw what the future would bring forth. Mr. Smith, no doubt, would devote as much time as he could • to the affairs of the board. . Mr. J. A. Valentine was elected de-puty-chairman. - > •