Leave Granted Dr. Beeby Criticised

Wanganui Chronicle, 25 February 1948, Page 4

Leave Granted Dr. Beeby Criticised

(P.A.) Christchurch, Feb. 24. •While it was agreed that it was an honour for a New Zealander to be offered the post of Assistant DirectorGeneral of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural.Organisation, there could be no defence of the Government’s action in granting 18 months’ leave of absence to the Director of Education, Dr. Beeby, for this purpose. This was the summary of views expressed at a meeting of the Canterbury sub-executive of the National Party yesterday. The meeting passed a resolution sharply criticising the Government’s action in allowing Dr. Beeby to proceed overseas for such an extended period, particularly in view of the fact that his policy was at present so consistently and searchingly under fire by competent and qualified critics. Speakers were of the opinion that one result of Dr. Beeby’s absence was that this criticism would have to be answered by some other officer of the Education Department who was not the author of “The .eeby System” and possibly might not even approve of it, which would place him in a most invidious position. Whatever the value of Dr. Beeby’s methods, it was felt that the head of any Government Department owed his first duty to that service and his right place was at his post.