THE STATE SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 415, 26 January 1909, Page 5

THE STATE SCHOOLS.

TO. HON. ■G. FOTPLDS. ; -V . Jy'J-I* l ? E £?GKA3?H.— SrECIiL COI£KKSI'O.yi>ENT.) -']'/: •'**;■'■; IV;' , '■ ; Chfistphurch, January 25, ; ■;';■j. ' j : .| A 'deputation representing the .'School Com-' :: "\ mittecs. Association.waited on the. Hon. G.".-.;.';; ■JVivlds, Minister for ■.Education, torday in re- '':■■■' gard tba number of matters. .One member':! ■': asked "thai medical inspection of, schools and. ' v the- teaching of.' physiology be- arranged ■■ for,"'.;. ; and that'some provision be made for- erecW :v'v, ing-s.helters .in the. playgrounds for;the prep '}.}■: . tection'.bf tho children agauist the' storms .; ; winter . and.. ; tha/. heat ill.summer. '■'■ Aiiptl'/er .. .N urged .the clajihJj of the single : desks 'in' ev- (try. '■.'5 . instance where iev/ schools' were, being ere( /ted '-■.-■ < -. or'present schools were being '- third, asked tiiai '/more .liberal, allowance': " >: . should'be'-madei to school committeesf i n- in- ' •:".'. cidental expenses,,and the fourth.askcdi-that :;'' : . some provision bejmado for'covering "tl--ja cost :•- of "eeriveyirigy country; children into'.ipirioua;: ■: 1 centres for-exaiiination:-:. '._,;-.! -':■■-":•''.: ;.--. , /..-.. : rf .';■•-■ The . MinisterJ4said that': ho' thou;7lyb- the '. v 'medical 'examiuj'.tionof school children was i.'v very desirabloj'sind he; hoped before/ long', to ' ', have some"systq-rn 1 adopted.'■'■ The q'iestion of •• -expense"-was, barring.' the way ;in */he mean- -"--■ time. '.On', tho "question of the sir,gle desks; ■-?:■:;': he had no .doubt--that,' given idea! /conditions' ■ * of staffing and., '.buildings, single, desks were .:' preferable to.duai' desks. When r'ihey : got the -.; ■ ■ full staffing'provided .by the Act ;of last year!;; 'it-might be.'possible; to arrange/ of : ■■'."■■- classes and rooms;so as to.couu';OT T balance:by .' - the'advantages 'any. disadvantages, that might'; ' : ; : :: Vise. --Regarding ;thoexpense, of. conveying" ;V:: children to -various;. centres ior "examination, w % : h'e was quite'St-irei ; that. Sin; individual : cases 'i ■■; some'-hardship iVtight bo' suifored.J. Central-"; :- ; - ising, in order;to;, bring the examination as n. ; i: near ."to- the end hi the;>sahooryear i as'pps- '.: : ; sible, and tp. : establish effective-cor- : ';';; relation between the primary, and 'secondary .■'.";: schools was of the -very utmost'importance." : :. '"'■. •No provision had. bifen, mado for the expense'.;.. >.|- in. this matter, but if it. was.goingto ensure- ''' : ; the success of the s<:ihem<* to bring the'exam-'"^ inations as closejtpvthe'end of the. school;; '■'";-,-- year,-as possible ho.Would bo. in'.-favour of- Vsome provision being made.: .The-aJlpwabce ,; :T for "incidentals", was more liberal'than/for-"';. : ■ merly; ■' If was not .'a/toad thing that-people '-' :; % should be led to take; a closer- interest in "■■.''-■ i educational matters by'; contributing -to the : :t " necessaries of the schools, -'So.'long as the : : '.' State. supplied reasonabio facilities : for..edu- v-' cation, in tho matter of stafE and equipment/" V ■•"!■ he did not know if the other things; referred -/v co did not fall within 'the .scope,~of ■ private enterprise. The educational expenditure had mounted up very considerably," and whilo there were a good many enthusiasts who'-: ■ -'■" thought thoy should go a good deal further: : : than _ the Government was'; prepared to' go ''■'■ he did "not think -be could follows them -ia 'r making ahy.large expenditure of money upon •••"'."' matters that did not appreciably enhance ;■ the efficiency of the: system. .However, all ■;'■<■ tho:pointy raised would recoke careful-con- ■.-*/ sideration'.' ■.'■'"'".' ■",'';' •';■ -- : v ; - ::;;;'^