EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1562, 4 October 1912, Page 6

EDUCATION.

COMMISSION'S REPORT DISCUSSED. CUSSED, SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND REPRESENTATION. The Hon. JAMES ALLEN (Minister for Education) moved: "That the report of the Education Commission bo referred to the Education Committee for consideration." Mr. J. A. HANAN (Invercargill) approved tho report, saying that the recommendations had been carefully considered. Ho hoped a Bill to embody such proposals should be introduced, and considered by tho House without any reference to party. He believed that much good would como of the totting up of. a National Council of Education, and that the number of boards ought to be reduced to eight—four in each island. He thought that the election of members nf education boards should be on a popular adult franchise. Mr. Allen: Hadn't we betier discuss all this when the Bill comes back from the committee? Mr. Hunan: No. Have you any reason to curtail discussion ? Mr. Allen: Not the slightest. Mr. Hanun went on to sny that he approved of the proposals that the snluries of teachers should be increased. Furthermore, ho agreed that it must to made possible for any teacher with adequate qualifications to obtain any position vacant, whether it occurred in his own district or not. The commission had recommended the abolition of free school books; this had been undoubtedly nn oxperimont, and it had not worked out well. Hut although tho report disclosed some defects and inadequacies it was tho most valuable educational document of tho hour, and it would be n standing disgrace to the Government which had affected the name of "Reform Party" i£ it did not do something to introduce reforms in our education svstcm.

Jlr. T. K. SIDKY (Duiiodin South) said ho proposed lo ileFor discussion of the. . report until it ciimc from the committee. i Jlr. .T. PAYNE (Grey Lynn) emphasised the value of physical r.ult.tro. Jlr. T. il. AVILTOHB (Ilult) paid that ■in indignation meeting of representatives of various schnol committees in the Hurt electorate line! recently V-en held nt Lower Hutt to protest against the basis of representation, which practically pro _cludca the Hutt district for all tiuia.froai.

being represented nn tho Education Board. There were more committees in tho district "across tho mountain range." But there, tvero more children in the Hutt district, mill it was unfair that it should b« excluded from representation. ilr. G. M. THOMiSUX (Dunedin North) said it was quite clear that our educational system, which-we had been in the habit for some time of regarding as something very exceptional, had been allowed to drift into an unsatisfactory state, It was not, in fact, so very line as was supposed, und it must bo very thoroughly overhauled. Ho did not think, however, that a commission \v«s necessary on this subject. The country had been put to very much expense, from which there would be no adequate return derived. Some little time ago he had drawn up a note of tho different sources from which information could be drawn. Everything contained in the evidence could have been collected from the records in the Department. . llr. Hannn: No. Mr. Thomson: Well, I'll tell you what you would not have got. You would not have got evidence which was so contradictory. ]fo hoped the Minister would attach sufficient importance to the matter to give the Ifouso an opportunity of fully considering the report when it came from the committee. The lion. D. HUDDO (K'aiapoi) said he viewed with suspicion the proposal to increase the already extraordinary amount of control of our education system. Something ought to be do-ie to increase the powers of .school committees. The Hon. ,T. ALLEN said he did not propos? to discuss the report until it came from the committee. The reason why the reference of the report had been delayed for so long was that the evidence was not printed, and as it was not nil printed yet, some of it would have to go before the committee in manuscript form. He recognised that thcTo were anomalies, such as that referred to by the member for Tl'.itt, but these anomalies could not be met this year. Something must bo done to alter tho method of voting for representatives |n Education Boards. Possibly the electoral rolls could be used, but there would be n. good deal of expenso and trouble in milting them up and making new rolls. Hβ could not, however, make any changes this year. . JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. The Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill was read a third time. ' PHARMACY AMENDMENT. On the motion that the amendments made in Committee in the Pharmacy Amendment Bill be agreed to, Mr. T. M. WILI'OKD (Hutt) said that lie heartily nppiauded the object of tho clause introduced by Mr. Davey and added to the Bill in Committee. Tho clause, however, had not been well drafted and would have to be carefully /scrutinised when the Bill came back from the Upper House. In one case that he knew of a doctor arranged with a chemist to dispense the prescriptions of Friendly Society menibers at a fixed rate of Is. per prescription. It was not desirable that such an arrangement should be prohibited. Personally he did not think that Mr. Dnvey's clause would prohibit it.

Mr..T. H. DAVEY (Christchurch East) said that his amendment was not intended to press hardly upon Friendly Society members or upon hospitals. Amendments, to prevent these institutions being hampered could, if necessary, he inserted when tho Bill was before the Upper House. What he had aimed at doing was to give a fair run alike to the doctor, the chemist and the patient.

Mr. J. PAYNE (Grey Lynn) said that, if ho had been iu the House on the previous night he would have objected to the clause on the ground Hiat it cast an undeserved slur upon members .of the medical profession. Tho Hon. B. H. RHODES, in charge of the Bill, said that honourable members hod apparently forgotten that the Bill was to deal with chemists and not with members of the medical profession. He did not think that the sort of arrangement Mr. Wilford had spoken of was likely to lead to objectionable practices. Tho second reading wns carried on the voices.