BACKBLOCKS CHILDREN.

Waipa Post, Volume 38, Issue 2285, 26 March 1929, Page 3

BACKBLOCKS CHILDREN.

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. “That children qualified to attend secondary schools but living in districts not served by railway should be provided with firee transport,” was a remit carried by the annual conference of the Waikato Sub-pr'ovincial branch of the Farmers’ Union at Hamilton.

In moving th,e remit Mr J. Machan (Matangi) emphasised the great disadvantage under which children and parents of children residing in districts remote from the railway suffered as a result of their location; whereas children resident in towns and adjacent to the railway line had the advantage of being able to obtain secondary and technical education at little or ho cost, children of back districts were debarred from the benefits of such, education, or were able to receive it only at great cost to their parents, who were forced to pay for the transport backwards and forwards to the nearest town. This is in some instances very Considerable and such as many parents could not afford. The children therefore become the innocent sufferers merely because their parents happened to be doing pioneering work away back from the centres.

UNFAIRNESS OF THE POSITION. Several members spoke strongly of the unfairness of the present position. Why, it was asked, should ,one class be debarred from these educational privileges while others got them free ? All were taxed on an equal basis. The children were being penalised for a condition of things over which they had no control. The children of the backblocks were just as important to the country, and as much, to their parents, as| were the children of the towns. The presentso-called system of free education was a misnomer. The remit was carried unanimously-

The chairman, Mr W. Lee Martin, M.P., said he felt sure the present Minister of Education, who was personally investigating the position, was honestly seeking a solution of the problem and was endeavouring to remedy the bias which at present was in favour of town children at the expense of those of the country. The speaker felt the Minister would make a pronouncement on the subject shortly. Personally, Mr Lee Martin did not favour a policy of boosting the high schools, but he did not advocate a policy of greater centralisation with regard to technical education, and he was expectant of an altered system of education. The Minister had made it plain that the policy in future would be that of the Government and not of departmental officers. It was also decided to urge that country children be given equality of educational opportunities by extendiing the centralisation of schools and the provision of suitable travelling facilities.