EDUCATIONAL MATTERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12755, 26 September 1919, Page 8

EDUCATIONAL MATTERS.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS [P*s Press Association’.] WELLINGTON, September 26. Delegates to the Education Boards’ Conference to-day met the Ministers of Education and Finance and members of Parliament and laid before them the various decisions of the conference, and also offered suggestions as to the future policy of the Department. Mr F. Pirani said there was an agreement -between the Teachers’ .Institute, Education Boards and school committees that an administrative council of education was wanted. Th© manner in which the council was to be appointed was a matter of detail, so long as the Education Department, as part of the Civil Service, was abolished. With regard to bringing down new legislation. .Mr Pirani voiced the opinion of the conference, that Education Boards should be consulted before questions went to Parliament, and urged the necessity for providing accommodation for g\rts coming from the country to attend the training college. Referring to the administration generally, Mr Pirani said that education was a matter of national importance and should he entirely, above party pojitics. In that respect voluntary workers on Education Boards were entirely free of the official spirit winch handicapped the Department. Many other points were , brought before the Minister and members of the House by the deputation. Sir Francis Bell, replying to the statements made as to the inadequate many first-rate men in the department, said he did not deny that salaries should not he increased. , There were many first-rate men in the department so that the -argument that the right tnen were not attracted fell short. The Government could not offer salaries equal to those offered by private concerns, who were willing to pay for quite exceptional men. It was'essential that there should be a scheme of graduation tliroughout th© public service. Sir James Allen, Minister of Finance, referring to the fact that greater salaries could bo paid hv business concerns than could be paid by the Government, made a point that private businesses did not hold out to the same degree that sens© of security to them workers in the latter years” of their lives which the Government ofby the superannuation scheme. The delegates expressed thanks to the Ministers and the members for giving them the. opportunity to express their views on important educational matters.