EDUCATION VOTES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 144, 7 March 1918, Page 6

EDUCATION VOTES

SPEECH BY THE MINISTER

SOME MISCONCEPTIONS

WHO ARE TO BLAME?

The Education Department has been criticised freely of late for tho alleged niggardliness of its administration. Tile Minister of Education (the Hon. J. A. Hanan) tool? the opportunity to remove many popular misconceptions when he spoke at the opening of an addition to the school at Karori yesterday afternoon.

"I notice," said the Minister, "that there are demands being made for new schools, and that blame is being attached to the Education Department for not providing the money to enable old and out-of-date schools to be replaced by new structures. I should like _to point out that the duty of replacing old and worn-out schools is not an obligation on the Department, _ as the Education Department has. ■ since the year 1903 up till now, provided an annual vote for the replacing of old and worn-out schools, based on the number of years allowed for the life of a wooden building—36i years—and on a percentage of the capital value. Altogether, from 1903 until 1916, the Education Department has advanced to hoards for this purpose a total sum of £350,000, and the boards have substantial balances in hand for the purpose of meeting requirements in the matter of the replacement of old buildings with new ones. If there is ground for complaint as to the need for the replacing of old buildings with more modern schools, the complaint should not be made against the Department or against the Minister. . "I often hear also complaints about the condition of some school buildings. It is pointed out to me—and unfortunately I recognise that it is true —that certain schools are in a neglected condition, and that they have been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. In regard to this point,-1 should like to say that the Education Department has provided an annual grant since 1903, which has been paid to education boards for the purpose of maintenance and repairs. I want to make these facts clear in order that people may understand the position of the Education Department, and that blame will not alwavs be placed on the shoulders ot the 'Minister of Education. "Complaints ore made about other points over Which the Minister has no control. One of them is that about the vexed question of school books, a complaint that is made with most rearon by the parents of children attenditirr secondary schools. In the matter of the selection of hooks, whilo I believe we should allow some freedom to our controlling authorities, I tlnnk that we have allowed too much freedom altogether. I have no.control over the selection of the .hooks that mav bo used. I wish I had, bccause if-1 had the power I would certainly deal with what I regard as an abuse. The expense to which parents are put by reason of tile continual changing of school books cannot be defended. So far as hooks for the use of primary schools are concerned. I have a certain amount of control, because I have to approve of a list of books for use in the schools, and from this, list every hoard may with the approval of the inspectors adopt certain hooks for the use of tho schools in that district. I am informed that certain books not authorised have been brouaht into use; this is a matter to which I am giving personal attention. I h.ivo long held the view that we could, without disadvantage adopt a universal set of books in such subjects as arithmetic, geography, and history. I agree, however. that this would be a wrong time to introduce a reform of this kind owiiif to the difficulty of procuring tho books that might bo decided upon; but I intend, if given an opportunity, to see that after a uniform set of bonks )ias been prescribed, no change shall be made in tho serios for a period of five years at least. "Regarding tho payment of teachers—the scale of, salaries lo be paid to teachers in the primary schools is fixed by Statute, but I have but littl*. control' over the salaries to be paid to the teachers of secondary schools. All that I can do is to see tliati these teachers are paid certain minimum salaries, but the fixing of the minimum salary is left entirely to the high school authorities. "High salaries are paid by certain boards to some of their officers. I am not complaining- about this. I wish to point outj however, that the Secretary of the Education Department recoives a salary of £600 a year, and that two education boards in this country each pay to their secretaries salaries of £600 a year—the same as tho Secretary of the Department receives. "I want to say that it is generally recognised in connection with public expenditure that when persons or bodies receive large sums of money without having the responsibility for finding the money there is not the same care and judicious economy exercised in tho expenditure of those moneys as is usual in the case of expenditure by bodies which have to provide for the raising of the moneys they have to spend. I have, through the Government and Parliament, to make provision for large sums of money for education, aiis I think it is desirable that the Education Department-, through the Minister, should have power to exercise a little more supervision over the expenditure—and this in the interests of the taxpayer. Since. I have been in office, I have endeavoured so far as I have been able to see that the money found by the- people has been' wisely and usefully expended. I do not think that the people of this country begrudge- the expenditure of large sums of monoy on education, but they want to .see that they get value for that money. "It lias been said by some persons that we have cut down the Education vote. That is ,not correct. If you look up the Estimates for last year and compare them with those for the previous year you will see that there has been a substantial increase."