EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 884, 4 October 1933, Page 5

EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Reforms Urged by School Committees. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, October 3. Raising of the school entrance age, purging of the teachers’ roll, size of classes, and maintenance and repair of Bchool buildings, were among the subjects discussed with the Minister of Education, the Hon R. Masters, by a deputation which waited upon him from last week’s conference of school committees associations of New Zealand. Mr Masters said that in the main the opposition to the raising of the school entrance age had come from the teaching community. He could understand that, but on the other hand he had received a number of letters of commendation. New Zealand was not the only country where children were not admitted to schools until they reached the age of six. His own opinion was that educationally and phvsicallv the children were no worse off. As far as kindergarten work was concerned it had never formed part of the national system. He was not unsvmpathetic to the system. The decision to withhold assistance was purely' a matter of economy. Dealing with the resolution of the conference urging the desirability of purging the teachers’ roll, Mr Masters said the matter was a very difficult one to deal with. To all intents and purposes a teacher could only be dismissed for gross misbehaviour or immoral conduct. It was extremely difficult to prove inefficiency. To the request for an increase in the grant to education boards and for rebuilding some of the old schools. Mr Masters said he had already decided to ask Cabinet to increase the giant by a substantial sum this year. Economically it was not a sound policy to go on indefinitely, leaving schools without repair, and the expenditure of money at this time would provide work for a number of men.