Centralisation Again.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17126, 22 April 1921, Page 6

Centralisation Again.

AVo welcome another piece of evidence xa to the growing objection entertained by that tolerably large section of the public that has given the matter any thought towards the policy of centralisation which the Government is pursuing in regard to education. The latest protest comes from the Board of managers of the Duncdin Technical College, who in their annual report object vigorously to the policy We have mentioned -as. contained ,in hcvr regulations issued by the Education Department. Dunedin affords no fruitful soil for the development of bureaucracy as applied to education. The centre of a Scottish community, it has all the Scottish faith in education, arid has manifested it oft-times by the generosity with which it has supported its' educational institutions. It is the last community likely to sit down qtiietly and watch Without protest the gradual filching by the Government of the prfwers of administration and control of education, hitherto lying in the hands Of its representatives on the various educational bodies. The particular point to which objection is taken by the Technical College Board Is the new Departmental scheme fdr the employment, grading, and payment of teachers. ''The; establishment, the develop- ' - ineiit, and the success of the Duhediii "Technical School,". says the report, " have all been duo to the great " interest taken in its foundation nnd "management by members of the ,' 'Board, who Voluntarily gave their "services to this work. The teaching ' staff, too, was formerly imbued with " the spirit of direct responsibility, and "the laudable desire to advance the " standing and interests of lt9 own institution. Now a change is gradually ''taking place, and the Board .9 "steadily being deprived of all.power "of initiative, aild relegated to the "position of merely carrying out the '■' administrative functions devolving " upon it iinder the regulations of the " Education.Department*" The Board sees at least two potential dangers in this policy. One I*9 that the whittling away of flie powers Of Boards of management will in time alienate the support of Ihe business ftien np<v colilprisliig the Boards; One member) speaking on this feature of the report; expressed the. fear that if matters went on as at present "they would soon get "ho one. to devote time to local work:" He anticipated the criticism, that this view might be , somewhat parochial. There is; however, parochialism that is mean and paltry iiild one 'that is closely allied to that stjifit of godd cltteehship and civic pride which is of inestimable y&\m te any fcbhmunity in which it is displayed, and we !are certainly hot among those who may ".he inclined to blame these . Dunedin; citizens for the 'attitude they have adapted; , As the speaker we have quoted said> and as we'ourselves have said in effect on more -than one occasion,, "the interest taken '' in education througndilt ■ the Do''.'minion is largely due ta the amount il bf local interest that can be aroused," fh&t interest Will als'uredly M sßfietisly leisenedj if flSfc extinguished, if all powei* af initiative and all responsibility fbr espenditure is taken" away from Ideal efluciitibiial authorities and feJfed tb thß tiepartifieiit in 'WeiiiilgttiSi We are cdhviheed that the present tf&'hd bf -thd GbVefllttient'e pblidy in this respect is ndt in the b§Bt iritefiSts of education, in New Zealand: It httiy be the' means of saving a little money, tut that is not at ttH eeftafti, and its afiy case greater economy of administration, will bet secured at ft high price if it is accompanied by the extinction Of that publid interest in edUbAtian to which we have referred, represented- materially in ;the case qf the Dunedin Technical flSndal by the £IO,OOO which the citiisetis fcUbacribed fdf it: Mf Parr is not wholly ts Mttme ipt the centralisation ten'dfiheyi it wits noticeable ifl the time of: more thah,6fle Of his predecessors in Office. ' But the responsibility for dbffyirig it ~011 1b his, and w6 trust he ivili cQhsider the question from -<a broader -point of view than has appar- ' ently yet presented itself to him.