A STUDY IN CONTRASTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1930, Page 6

A STUDY IN CONTRASTS.

There are few more amazing contrasts in the public affairs of the Dominion between promise and performance than in regartP to the education policy, Scarcely had he taken office two years ago when the Minister of Education, the Hon. H, Atmore, announced his intern tion of thoroughly revising the working of his department and the system of education throughout the counfiy. His criticisms of certain phases of that seemecl to liuve inucX to support them; in other respects the country was more unconvinced, but was content to give the new Minister credit for a genuine interest in educatioji and foi the ability to propound a policy that would briP" about the improvement of which he had- stressed the necessityNew Zealand was not “getting the woods,” declaimed Mr. Atmore; it was turning out battalions of clerks and professional men, while the country needed more than anything else a steady supply of young settlors. It was impossible to 'ignore the seriousness of th© warning, and when the Minister promised an early revision of the system to n-ive school teaching an “agricultural bias” he received a sympathetic heai> in or, though thoughtful people wondered how he intended to bring this about. Time passed; so did the first session of Parliament with Mr. Atmore as Minister of Education. His plea, for full time to evolve a system so vitally concerned with the future welfare of the Dominion was m-aiited, and he spent many days in tlie Parliamentary recess asseverating in various parts of the Dominion the need for changed methods of teaching and criticising present systems ot control, departmental and local- Meanwhile a committee had been set up to inquire into education matters. Its report was laid before Parliament last session and raised considerable feeling, favourable and critical. Another session passed without any legislative action, and now Mr. Atmore is occupying his time in touring the country defending ' the committee’s findings and still making promises to bring about a better education system. His best friends should assure him that the country is looking for something more than promises. Critics may find much satisfaction in what looks very like Ministerial impotence. Education is too important a subject, however, foi politics to interfere with, and the soonei Mr. Atmore can produce the scheme of which he has spoken so eloquently the better for his reputation and for the country that must provide ways and means of financing the chosen plan.