‘THE OLD SCHOOL TIE”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 78, 2 April 1938, Page 10

‘THE OLD SCHOOL TIE”

WILL IT EVENTUALLY DISAPPEAR? WANGANUI OPINIONS EFFECT OF PROPOSED NEW ACT. Fears that the traditional side of school life will suffer as the result of the proposed amendments to the Education Act have been given expression to in various parts of the Dominion, a notable example coming from Wellington colleges. Enquiries made by a "Chronicle’’ reporter in Wanganui suggest that some ground for those fears exists here among schools maintained largely by State grants, but there is, as yet, little to worry about in regard to private schools. "Ours is purely a private school established and maintained under a trust,’’ stated the chairman of the Whanganui College Board of Trustees (Mr. G. W. Currie). “The proposed new Act does not affect the Collegiate School.” A similar reply was given by Mr. A. Douglass, B.Sc., principal of the Friends’ School, St. John's Hill. The Society of Friends, with a membership scattered throughout the Dominion, furnishes the funds for the maintenance of the school and a private trust, he said. Mr. Douglass touched on another aspect of the proposed amending legislation, however, that of its tendency to centralise control to the detriment of local management. “What I mean is that if the abolition of boards of governors takes away the opportunity for men like the late Mr. David McFarlane to serve education, then it is definitely bad,” he said. "Education has been built up very largely by the voluntary endeavour of public-minded citizens. It is important that there should be a definite local interest in the schools.”

Father Outtrim stated that the Education Amendment Bill did not affect Catholic Schools. They too, are privately owned and maintained. It would, appear, therefore, that what danger there is of the traditional aspect being lost applies to schools directly financed by the State. This is borne out by a Wellington statement: —“lt means that the old school tie is threatened; in fact it will be done away with,” remarked Mr. L. McKenzie, chairman of the Wellington Colleges Board of Governors, when that body was discussing the proposed new Education Bill. It was suggested that under the new proposals old-estab-lished boarding schools, like Wellington College, which had been built on traditions, would lose mana. Wellington College is financed by Government funds.