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Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16462, 14 June 1919, Page 2

The Teachers’ Institute, like other professional associations and trade unions, is an excellent organisation for protecting the interests of its members and bringing pressure to bear on the Government. It by no means follows, however, that what the teachers desire in their own interests is best for the country. The Institute recently produced a scheme for the reorganisation of tile educational administration of the country which has little to commend it from the point of view of the public, hut may meet with approval of the Department, because it would practically centralise all power in its hands. It is important that the people should he acquainted with those proposals, as they may appear in the next Education Bill and perhaps he rushed through the House. The institute wishes to abolish all Education Boards and substitute an advisory hoard of experts. The expert s would be appointed by the Minister, with the advice of the Doparement; they would have no pow£r except that of giving advice, and would be in fact merely a spare wheel for the departmental motor wagon. For sonle reason the Institute objects to school committees and they are to go also.- The Institute does not care what takes their place, and suggests, (1) that school committees should bo elected nt the Same time and by the same electors as vote for borough and county councils, or (2) that boroughs and counties should appoint representatives to the new school committees from their own members and co-opt additional members. These bodies, it is considered, would bo able to advise the department as to sites for schools and similar matters. It is to be observed that the scheme would make the department all-powerful and provide some other sham bodies with nothing beyond advisory powers to assist it. Local interest in education would he killed and the foot of the department would he planted firmly on our necks. Such a departure must be resisted to the utmost, as the one hope for our educational system is an increase instead of a diminution in local interest.