AFFECT ON SCHOOLS

Chronicle (Levin), 9 May 1946, Page 6

AFFECT ON SCHOOLS

WELLINGTON, Mav 8. "Speaking purely as an educational administrator 1 cannot see how mass immigration involving children . could be achieved within the next few years without a reductiou in the staudard. of education that is offered to the children already in New Zealand," said the Direetor of Education, Dr. C. E. Beeby, in evidence before the Committee 011 Population. "If any immigration pro gramme were to create a demand for a great iucrease 111 the number of teachers, it would be necessary to guve the education authoritios at least four or live years' notice. It appcared that. auy immigration policy involving the entrance o.f great numbers of children into New Zealand o\-er the next few years could be put into operation only by adopting some or all of the following measures: (a) Etepping up the scliool Iniihling prograrnme at the expensc of other buildiug programmes; (b) increasing the si/.e of classes; (c) adopti,ng lower standards of accommodation for schools; (d) using untrained or partially trained teachers; (ej reducing the length of the sch'ool life of the averagc child. The probable elfects of a growung population 011 the ecduomie situation in New Zealand were diseussed by the Treasury in 'evid'ence subiiiitt'ed to the committee. The i'oliowiug general conclusions tvere reached: The growtli of population should, in the normal course of events, reduce the burden per head, of the public debt. It should have a further bcneficial effoet in the form of a reductiou of taxation. It should have similar although less marked results 011 local body debt aud rates.