STATE OR LOCAL CONTROL?

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 878, 26 July 1910, Page 6

STATE OR LOCAL CONTROL?

FOE EDUCATION. ." 'By Telegraph—Special Correspondent.! Wanganui, Juiy 25. . Mr. A. Williams, Director of. Education in South Australia, who has oeea on a short visit.to Wanganui, . was. asked by an interviewer (in .view of the'. interest created by; the New Zea-. land Government's proposal to transfer the functions .of education boards to local governing ibodies) .whether he had formed any opinion on the subject. / Mr. Williams replied that, as yet, only the briefest outline of' the proposals had been given, and, till further details tfere available, it would not be possible to say whether they wore, good or tbe'reverse. He judged, however,' that there, would probablyi be some system similar to that in Scotland, Of, possibly, to thai in England, which, though identical in principle, differed in detail from that.of Scotland. There was a. good deal to be said both for and against local control, said Mr. Williams. On one hand it stimulated interest in .'education to a very great degree by bringing the people more ihto touch with it. That was a very great gain, as the more interest peoplo took in education, and the more directly they felt themselves concerned in its management, the better it was for it, and the less.they would grudge the money spent on it. On the other hand, in the case of any abuse, those whoso duty it was to remedy it, would sometimes hesitate to do so, lest, by giving offence, they should damago iheir own positions. Until, however, fuller details of the new scheme were given, it would be premature to say whether these advantages or defects, were likely to be the more in evidence.

In England, ho pointed out, local councils had tlieir : education committees, just 'as a municipal council here had. its works'- or finance .■committees, and these committees, appointed qualified'persons from outside'the council to act with them, and take a share in the management. The South Australian system, Mr. "Williams said, was a system of purely' State (not local) control. Everything was managed from headquarters, though there was a system of small local committees which were appointed to groups of schools to advise the head office in small matters, of detail, such as repairs and attendance. The system had worked well, and, under it, the cause of education in South Australia had made' very gratifying progress. '