COST OF EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2442, 22 April 1915, Page 6

COST OF EDUCATION

DANGER OF OVERLAPPING

BURDEN ON THE STATE. The extra cost entailed on tho State for educational purposes through overlapping was the subject of tho discussion at tho meeting of tho Victoria College Council last night. The matter was brought up by a report from tho Professorial Board, showing the number of students paying a fee for the different classes in 1915, as compared with 1914. There had been a decrease in 1915, according to the report, of 101, from 944 in 1914 to 843 this year, the subiect most concerned being English, which had dropped from 140 to 96. There had also been a drop in Training College students from 210 to 166, a. net decrease of 44, and in English alone the drop was 49.

Tho board directed the attention of tho council to the following'points:—(l) This was the first year in which the increased scale of fees came into operation. (2) In those subjects where there was a junior class as well as a pass class, the figures showed tilers had Been a general increase ill the junior class and a decrease in the pass class., Tho increase in the junior class probably indicated that the ;ttrst" deterrent effect of doubling the fees was passing, away. The decrease in the pass class was in the main due to tho fact that last year' a very large number of students left college to undertake military duties arising from the war. In the normal course of events a largo proportion would have been members of the pass classes this year. (3) The very noticeable decrease in the English class was, in the main, due to the change in the policy of the Training College, which now conducted an English class of its own for many Training College students who formerly had attended the University class. Further, it was pointed out that this year there were no Post Office students attending the course in physics.

Sir Robert Stout referred to the overlapping in English. It was another evidence of what was happening, he said, in our educational system. The cost of education had gone up more than doublo in thirty years, and a great ■ deal of it was caused by that overlapping. He did not know where the increase was going to end, at the rate it was going on. It was now 245. per head, and in 1885 it was 12s. per head, and he ventured to say that the education received then was just as good as it was to-day. "I don't know how the country can stand it," he continued. "You will have continual waste where there is overlapping, and the only chance for economy is to nave thiß overlapping stopped. I pointed- that out in the leoture I gave to the Senate." Mr. W. H. Morton: "I think it is clear to t/very one of us that overlapping is the case. I don't see how we can do anything further than bring it before the Minister of Education."

Sir Robert Stout: "We have no jurisdiction. I think the time will come when finance will have to be considered to stop the overlapping."

Tho Hon. A. L. Herdman: "Representatives from tiie-Sehate, and from this council, might wait - upon-, the Minister of Education and point ■ out-that this is going on. The public do not take any interest in it because it has'not been ventilated. I do not think it has been brought prominently under the notice of the Minister of Education. I think a great deal of good would be done if a deputation, waited upon him. Of course the increased amount that is paid out of the public exchequer just now on eduoation is not entirely on that account. It has to be recognised that increases in salaries have been made," Sir Robert Stout: "Not so much. I was not considering this year." Tho Hon. J. G. W. Aitkcn: "Are other colleges finding tho same thing as we are?"

Sir Robert Stout: "Very likely. I don't know. I think you had better leave it to the new Education Council, and see if they cannot worry it out, because they have to advise the Minister in all sorts of things."

The chairman (Mr. H. H. Ostler) suggested that it would be wise to instruct the Registrar to find out the exact position, and report to next meeting, and the proposal was adopted.