EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS HAS NO BARRIER

Chronicle (Levin), 14 May 1946, Page 7

EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS HAS NO BARRIER

-Prcss Association

prime minister replies to teachers

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, May 15. "There is today 110 monetary or administrative barrier in the patli of educational -advaiicenicnt, " said the I'riine Minister, Hon. B. Eraser, when addressing the New Zealand Educational Institute at its annual meeting at Wellington today. He urged the need for ciose eooperation between the Government' and the teaching profcssion iif order to ackieve the ends which both desired. Mr. Eraser discussed tlie tliree main problems — salaries, scliool buildings and desirability of smaller classes. The Government, he said, wanted to see contentiuent in the teaching service as the result of adequatc renuineration. He explained the purpose of the Goveriir m'ent's stabilisation policy without which, he said, the country would have crashed in ruins. Nevcrtheless, fair and equitable adjustiuents had been made '111 the salaries of ccrtain branches of the public service and ihe sunie tliing was desired for the teaching profcssiou. A comniittee had been set up to consider the question and he hoped the investigation would be tliorough and that the results would give satisfaction. "We are very anxious that no 0110 in the profession sliould feel badly treated-or underpnid, " he said. "Eor the last ten vears there has never been any diffieultv about money for scliool buildings," said Mr. Eraser. "Before the war the nionev voted was more tlian the boards' arehitects and builders could handle but the eifects of the depression when the expenditure was cut, has to be overcome. During the war tiiuber which sliould liavc gone into educational buildings was required for camps. NTow the liniitations are lack of labour and lack of materials. Trade traiuing schools for returned servicemen are expeeted to help. ' *' There is no need. to inipress 011 the Government the need for school buildings," added Mr. Eraser. "We are avvare of it and are anxious' to provide them. ' ' Diseussing liousing, Mr. Eraser said it was inipossible to lay down tlie principle that teachers -sliould have precedence over others who were equallv engaged in useful work.( There migkt, however,, be a case fo.r special consideration if children in any district were suffering under a disability because there was no housin'g accommodation for a teacker. Tlie recent inerease in the birthrate had intensilied the difficulty experienced in tryiug to reduce the size of classes to about 50. The Governuient completely agreed that large classes should be reduced. -The question was how soon it could be done.