EDUCATION SYSTEMS.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18406, 13 August 1931, Page 3

EDUCATION SYSTEMS.

METHODS COMPARED. AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. His impressions of the educational systems of New South Wales and South Australia, were given to the Wellington School Committees anti Educational Federation by Mr N. A. Ingram. Mr Ingram, who Is the organising secretary of the federation, lias recently returned from Australia. Comparing education in these States, with that in New Zealand, Mr Ingram said that the buildings, especially primary school buildings, were on the whole, better than ours. We had nothing to learn regarding the sizes of classes, as all primary clas'ses were too large. He could find no objection to the centralisation of control, which worked satisfactorily in both States, and lie did not hear any complaints about it from either teachers or parents, as it was accepted as the most satisfactory amt economical system. He would favour centralised control here it additional powers were given to school committees. Mr Ingram said that he would not agree totally with the system in New South Wales, where there were neithei boards nor committees, although it appeared to be satisfactory, and was doubtless more economical, but he

thought that the South Australian system, which had school committees, elected by the parents, in the primary schools, and councils for the higher schools, these being appointed by the department, was better. In South Australia the dut>» of the committees, which were elected for two years, were similar to those of the New Zealand committees except that the cleaning was looked after by the department, and -yas more economical Ilian that done by individual committees. Commenting upon tho schools, he said that the higher schools were wonderful structures. As in New Zealand, tho higher one went up in education, the better were the buildings in which one was fraught, but the difference in Australia was not so marked as that in New Zealand.