EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18406, 13 August 1931, Page 7

EDUCATION SYSTEM.

ECONOMY PROPOSALS. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. THE QUESTION OF SALARIES. (Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. In the House of Representatives today the Minister of Education, the Hon. 11. Atmore said New Zealand's expenditure in educational administration was abnormally high, but the country had too many governing bodies. Legislation had been enacted last session to deal witli the question and it was hoped that in the near future there would be one governing body in each centre, instead of three as at present. For example, in his district, there was a primary school board costing £3500, a college board costing £lOOO, and a technical school board, which was run more cheaply.

The cost of education in this country was 9s 2d a head, whereas the highest of any State in Australia was 5s 4d. "Some of our country schools are costing us £l5 a head," Mr Atmore continued, "but we propose in the near future to use our excellent correspondence instead of having so many schools where the money is insufficient to attract good teachers.” When it was considered that the great bulk of administrative expenditure was exhausted on salaries, it would be understood that no great savings could be made without imposing a further salary cut, and nothing of the sort was at present contemplated.

Mr Atmore continued that there was a lot of loose talk about economies in education by men without a knowledge of the position. The Prime Minister had put the position properly when he said he wanted an inquiry to see if economies could be effected without jeopardising the services to the boys and girls of this country. A hint of a Cabinet disagreement on this question was given in the House Dy Mr H. T. Armstrong (Labour — Christchurch East), who said he understood that last year an attempt had been made to reduce the education vote, but the Minister of Education had refused to give way on the point. Mr Armstrong wondered if the Minister had given way this year, or if he would give way to the findings of the Education Committee. Was the appointment of the Education Committee a way out of the difficulty between the Minister and the Prime Minister as Minister of Finance?