THE MODERN TENDENCY

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1930, Page 9

THE MODERN TENDENCY

TECHNICAL EDUCATION MINISTER ON PRACTICAL POINT SECONDARY SCHOOLS ATTACKED. By Telegraph, —Press Association. . Wellington, Last Night, The Minister of Education (the Hon. H. Atmore) attended the conference of the Technical Education Association today and devoted himself to dealing with criticisms of the Parliamentary Recess Committee’s report on the ‘education system. The Minister sajd that while nearly every other department -was having its estimates cut down, the increasexpenditure on education was draw* ing attention, and ha remarked, that unless better results could be obtained there would be a call for economy. He did not believe economy was possible in the actual amount being expended, but it was essential that better returns should be got for the money. He had been surprised at the suggestion that any elimination of smaller technical high schools was hinted at by the proposed changes. He thought .he had made it plain that he had striven to make technical education free of high fees, as it was one of the most important phases of modern education. Referring to the charges made that there had been excessive travelling, he said it had been done to give everyone a chance to express opinions, and he was satisfied that in the evidence of the 156 witnesses they had th® considered opinion of all the educational authorities throughout New Zealand. The expenditure proposed would effect a tremendous saving by stopping waste, and thus leave enough for essentials. He was quite prepared to find that the bulk of the criticism was coming from the secondary schools, which were the least practical and were in effect failing to rise to the demand for modern education. So far from centralisation being proposed, the central authority was.giv-' ing up more than, the local authorities. There was 110 foundation for the sugges- . tion that building would be taken out of the hands of the local authorities and vested in-the Publie-Works Department. The Minister said the . eo-operation of all men and women in New Zealand for the welfare !>f all children in a scheme that would be an improvement on the existing one would be sought by him, arid he intended to give parents and their representatives every opportunity of making their suggestions. He wished to force nobody, but there were certain things that must be brought into the scheme. He asked them ndt to mistake statements made by witnesses as the opinion of the committee as expressed in the report. They would save £7OOO by eliminating the frittering away of funds by boards. . ' . * ! We put technical education on the same footing as academic because I am satisfied it is proper to-fit boys and., girls for the future,” said the Minister. “I have given warnings and I. pointed out what would happen in secondary schools,. which failed, to realise that technical education is not the Cinderella of education, On the contrary, it is destined to eat its way into the very vitals of the academic grammar | school,” He had found that commercial classes at technical schools were more popular with parents who judged by results than wore commercial classes at grammar schoolsj arid it was significant that there were vacancies at secondary schools in these classes, wliile those at technical schools were full,.