ASSURANCE GIVEN BY MR ATMORE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 143, 18 June 1931, Page 7

ASSURANCE GIVEN BY MR ATMORE.

TECHNICAL INTERESTS WILL BE PROTECTED. An assuratvee that, an any steps taken to unify the control of secondary and technical schools, adequate protection would ge afforded to technical interests, was given by the Minister of Education, the Hon. 11. Atmore, when replying to a deputation representing the Christchurch Technical College Board of Governors to-day. The case for the Technical College was placed before the Minister by the chairman of the Board of Governors, Mr M’Gregor Wright, the deputation being introduced by Air E. J. Howard, M.P. Mr Wright said that the power taken by the Government to amalgamate the secondary and technical schools boards in. any town simply by the issue of an Order-in-Counci 1 did not appeal to the Board of Governors of the Christchurch Technical College. The Finance Act No. 2 was passed at short notice, and apparently in some parts with little discussion, but the board did not feel that the matter should be regarded as settled, or that the power taken by the Government was likely to be used in an autocratic manner. There was always a fear of government by Order-in-Council, as no body of persons working for the community good, even on a voluntary basis, cared to be ignored when legislation concerning their institutions was enacted or drastic changes were contemplated. It was felt that no considerable changes were likely to be made in connection with the Christchurch College, since -a school looking after the training of over 3000 students was surely worthy of a board for itself alone. However some changes were contemplated, and it was felt that they should speak in the interests of technical education generally. The amalgamation proposed had for its objects greater economy and increased efficiency. Economies Expected. The cost to the country of the working of a technical school board was negligible, added Mr Wright. The members of the board were honorary. They did not even receive travelling expenses or other allowances. In many cases no boardroom was provided for their meetings. The boards had no paid secretaries, the secretarial work being done by the principals. Their only cost was for postage, amounting to, say, £2 to £3 per annum for the whole board. Yet throughout the country they found men of outstanding ability prepared to give of their time and the benefit of their evperien'ce for the advancement of this type of education. Mr Wright added that the constitu-

*]®®®®®®®®®®@®®®®®®®[*]E* tion of existing technical school boards was as nearly as possible ideal, repre-' senting as it did parents of pupils, employers of labour, trade unions, local bodies, school committees, and the education board of the district. Even with this representative body it was found advisable to have advisory committees as well, on which the trade apprenticeship committees and other bodies were represented. A technical school of any size represented a great variety of interests and cultural education had to be blended in the technical high school with the pre-vocational work. In the evening schools training in many trades, in commerce, and in home crafts must be properly attended to, and all of those required special supervision anci organisation. Only a special board, very much like the one now constituted, could do this. Caution Needed. “It is feared that any attempt to amalgamate the boards of the high school and technical high school in any town will result in the predomination of the academic rather than the vocational spirit,” he added, and he reminded' the Minister of a statement made in Christchurch in April, 1929: “I place agriculture first in importance in the educational system. Next comes technical education, then commercial, and lastly academic.” Mr Wright asked whether this was still Mr Atmore’s attitude. If it was, then considerable caution was needed before plans were adopted for the amalgamation of the boards of any two schools dissimilar in character and requiring different attitudes in control. The Christchurch board feared that the proposed amalgamation tended to the centralisation of control of education in the Education Department fn Wellington, whereas it was believed that education had everything to gain by a greater measure of decentralisation. The deputation asked that before amalgamation took place in any town, the boards of both schools would be consulted and amalgamation would not be effected unless it was regarded as absolutely essential. It was also asked that where amalgamation was regarded as essential, the Minister would introduce safeguards, in the constitu tion of the new board, and in other ways, to ensure that technical education did not suffer through the change. Mr Wright said that the members of the board were also still anxious to know when a start was to be made on the erection of the new school at PapaMinister’s Reply. “Had the Board been in closer touch, [ don’t think that they would have felt anv apprehension," said Mr Atmore, in replying to the deputation. The Finance Act No. 2 gave .authority for the unification of schools which it had not been hitherto possible To bring under one control. lie added that where the two sets of controlling authorities had signified their wish for one controlling authority, then a special clause was necessary in the Act. The technical interests on the new’ controlling bodies had been given specific

representation. lie could not see the slightest grounds for alarm as far as the board was concerned. There was never any danger of the technical side being submerged bv the academic side. Mr Atmore added that he looked forward to the time when science masters would be at the head of every great secondarv school and when creative science would be one of the main subjects. The proposals generally of the Recess Education Committee had been commended by Lord Eustace Percy, who was chairman of the British Board of Education in the Baldwin Government, and one of the proposals was the unification of control. In a few . years, he did not think that there | would be a school in New Zealand j run on the old academic lines.