FIVE-YEAR-OLDS

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 273, 23 November 1935, Page 6

FIVE-YEAR-OLDS

EDUCATION REPORT WILL GOVERNMENT ACT" Reference to the question of the exclusion of the five-year-olds was made by Mr G. R. Ashbridge, secretary of the New Zealand Educational Institute, at a meeting of the Central Hawke’s Bay branch of the Institute at Waipukurau lasT evening.

Mr Ashbridge pointed out that the Education Committee of the House had recommended that the petition . asking that the children should be admitted should receive most favourable consideration from the Government.

“It should bo emphasised that this committee contains a majority of Government members,” said Mr Ashbridge, “and that the whole question was considered on broad educational grounds. It is a very unusual thing for a select committee to bring in a finding so contrary to declared Government policy, and ttihe fact that this committee did so is convincing evidence of the strength of the case for •the re-ad mission of the children.

“The question m;ow is whether the Government will, if returned to office, act upon the recommendation of the committee. The Minister for Education, in reply to enquiriies from the Institute has given an assurance that the matter will receive very careful considerutioVn. It is very doubtful if the 24,000 (people who signed the petitions asking for the re-admission of the children will be satisfied with that.

“What they want is a definite declaration of policy before the election takes place. The Government has the very definite recommendation of its expert Education Committee to guide it and the only question now is whether it is prepared, in the face of that; recommendation, to continue the exclusion of the five-year-olds as an economy measure,” concluded Mr Ashbridge.