TO NATIONALISE EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 93, 14 January 1919, Page 6

TO NATIONALISE EDUCATION

PROPOSALS OF EDUCATIONAL ' INSTITUTE QUESTION OF CONTROL A DOMINION BOARD ADVOCATED The New Zealand Educational Institute, yesterday morning resumed the discussion of motions originally drafted by the executive' and proposed amendments to the Education Act. Tho first motion before the meeting was the following, which was moved v by Mr. Just on Saturday:—"That in lieu of tho present nine education boards there shall be appointed a National, Board of Education, and that looal educational authorities be constituted to take the place of school committees." • Mr. F. Coloman seconded the motion. Mr. F. L. Combs moved that the corferenco confine itself for the time being to discussing the question of a National Education Board. Mr. B. N. T. Blake agreed with Mr. Combs. It was quite impossible to. discuss four or jive matters at the one lime. Mr. Just said that if the institute moved tho establishment of a national board that would mean the abolition of the present education boards. It would, therefore, be necessary, while discussing a national education board, to make suggestions as to how the local authorities should be constituted. . Mr. Combs's motion was lost. Mr. G. Lippiatt moved in- amendment of Mr. Just's, motion tlie following:—"(1) That the Council of Education bo modified and be given full executive powers to deal with the whole of the professional side of education except the appointment of teachers; (2) that education boards be reduced to four, and that thpir representatives or. the Council of Education be reduced tb^tao;. (3) that if it is thought necessary to further reduce the number of members of tho Council of Education the reduction should be in the direction of excluding all but educational experts; (4) that the' members of school committees l be reduced by placing several schools under the charge of each committee.". • Evolution vorsus Revolution. The mover said that his proposals aimed at evolution—the modification ofwhat was already in existence —in place of revolution, as advocated by the executive in the motion brought before the. meeting by Mr. Just. He wished to see the'present institutions kept, as it was.possible for-the executive to get what it wanted while they were retained. The.Council of Education had been very carefully and veiy liberally arranged to represent every interest in the country, and if it were modified in the direction of containing only experts it would l be a very much better body than it was at present. *If education boards were re-duced-in number from nine to four, eay, two for each island, there would be plenty of able men available to carry out the immense amount of administrative work that would bo neces-l-eary under the institute's proposed scheme. That scheme would in effect place tile professional side in the hands of a national board, but would leave the administrative work to local authorities, which, in the speaker's opinion, would be little superior in personnel to the present- school committees. Let the'.institute'ask that tho Council of Education, be made what the institute thought it should be. There would then be no. revolution necessarv. ; ■ •

Mr. AV. Bndey seconded the amendment. :

Mr. H. A. Parkinson said that Mr. Lippiatt's criticism of the executive's proposals was. partly founded upon a confusion of terms, because the proposed national education board practically to "the Council of Education, endowed with administrative powers." He looked with distrust, upon the proposal for a "board of enperts," ,;s it seemed to threaten the breadth of the educational policy of the Dominion. Local Authorities and Mediocrity. Mr. Combs said that at present it seemed to him that the genius of any efficient system lay with a central department under the control of a national democratic institution such as Parliament. It was useless to multiply local authorities when it was impossible lq get even in Parliament eighty men who were capable of giving light and leading to the country m its education. . Small bodies had meant in the past, and for a generation in the future would mean, the rule of mediocrity. Too many mediocrities, 'by getting on .a number of petty , local bodies, were' ultimately enabled to climb to a seat in the national councils ; and the ladder which enabled such mon to climb he- wished to eee broken down. Unless educationists could look to having as a substantial factor in tile Cabinet a man who could 1 arliament. It would useless to mulassert the portfolio of Education, and not a man who was a mere nominee of a political party, he, and education with him. would bo shoved into a corner. Mr. W. 0. Lamb claimed that tho executive's schema was a very nebulous one. Ho thought that there was no existing; condition in the Dominion which, under improvement, could not achieve all that tho institute dpsired; and 'members of the institute seemed to him to be confusing the issue—confusing the end, aspirations, and ideals they had in mind and felt so strongly about, with tho means to tho realisation of those idfals. Mr. Lamb saw in tho executive's .. proposals tho "camouflaged Wellingtonising of education in the Dominion." Mr. do Berry (a member of the executive) thought that Mr. Just was perfectly justified in.i saying that the system ho proposed was distinctly democratio, while the tendency of' the other system proposed was' bureaucratic. The gap ' between the National Education Board and the local education authority would be less than the present gap between the education board and the school committee. Mr. Rowntree and Mr. W. H. Worsley supported the. motion. Mr. M'Naughton said that the amendment provjded tho only indication that members had as to the form the proposed National Board should- take, and, if for no other reason, he would support the amendment. The question of a National Education Boardmust be settled by the. meeting, but on lines that gave a clear issue. Education Boards Must Co. Mr. Just, in replying to opponents of his motion, asked what the institute had been doing for tho last thirty-six years if it had not beei> getting the boards to as little as possible, because thev were doing their work so unsatisfactorily. Yet he found some members saying that "everything in tlie garden was lovely," and' that the boards must ho retained. If the amendment was carried the institute' would be going buck on the whole policy of tlie last 36 years. Tho amendment was lost on a division by. 45 votes to 13. The .-meeting then decided that the question of establishing a National Education Board and tho question of setting up now local authorities should bu kept separate ■ •

The National Board. The first motion before the meeting under this arrangement was worded:— : "That there shall bv appointed a National Board of Education m lieu of the r present nine education boards" Mr. Endey moved in amendment that the words "in lieu or the. present nine education boards" he deleted, but the amendment was lost. The motion- for the establishment of a national board was tarried. Mr. H. A. Parkinson then mo>-ed: "That the functions of tho National Education Board be to revise Parliament to promulgate curricula, to supervise the work ot education and voluntary committees, to provide and control the teaching staff, to establish, close, or group' schools an may bu deemed necessary, and generally to direct the educational functions of the nation." The motion was carried. Mr. Blackie moved that a subcommittee bo set up to consider the personnel of the National Education Board. Mr. Lippiatt moved an amendment that the board consist of a body of elected experts representing all branches of education. Miss Coad eeconded the motion. Mr. Combs indicated that he was not in favour of a National Board of Education consisting of puovi* tinder the official thumb. "Where the Departmental mind was predominant members of the profession were liable to be overridden by the nature of the Departmental procedure. Mr. LippiaiVs amendment was lost. A ■ sub-comn.:ittee consisting of six members was s-;t up for the purpose indicated in .Mr. Blackie's motion. ' Local Educational Authorities. A motion, that local educational authorities bo constituted to take the place cf the present school committees was then before the meeting. Mr. i< , . A. Garry doubted the power of local authorities to be eft-active.-Might not any new" local bodies be aa helpless as the local bodies of to-day? He hoped the matter would not • go forward without thorough discussion, because in his view it was ju<>fc as important as, or more important than, the question of establishing :i National Education Board. After Mr. Just had spoken in defence of the motion, it was put and carried without opposition. Mr. Just moved: "That in each sep-' arate district or locality to be defined there shall be constituted an education committee. Tho education comj raittoes shall be constituted in one or other of the manners following: In cities and boroughs the city or borough council shall appoint a committee of its own members, and this committee shall ; co-opt as members not more than nor less than —— suitable bther persons from outside the council. In counties tho county council shall divide' the county into suitable areas, which may include several schools. In each such area the county council shall either appoint —— suitable persons to form the education committee for that area or may make provision for the election of such committee by the householders of the area. The member of the county council representing each such area, shall be a member of the committee."

Mr. Combe said that at present they had nine education boards, and wished to be rid of them. Shortly, if tho proposals contained in the motion were pnt into effect they .would have about 250 bodies similar to the boards. So far as he could seo tho proposed functions of the new local authorities were very much the same as those which the education hoards possessed or had formerly possessed. Mr. Endey opposed tho motion, 'because it introduced the principle of co-optation, which was undemocratic! and because the duties of the local education authority would largely and almost entirely fall into the hands of an office staff. Under the education board -system there were instances where the office was recognised as the board.

Mr. Parkinson said that coaptation was often the only menus-of getting very useful and desirable men into seats on tlie local /authority. Moreover, some seven hundred teachers in England owed solely -to co-optation tlio fact that they were able to sit as members of the personnel of the local education authority. Miss Coad wished to see definite provision made for the representation of male and female teachers on the local authority. Mr. de Berry moved that the whole matter of the constitution of,the education councils be referred to the committee which, was considering the constitution of the . National Education Board.

Mr. de Berry's motion was carried. Mr. Just moved: "That the duty'of tlie education committees shall be to direct, subject to the education board, the education work of the area, to advise the education board with .regard to sites and buildings, to arrange correlated courses of study for young people of the area, having regard to local conditions, to arrango for the co-operation in educational work of local agencies related, or to be related to the schools (e.g., clubs, librathe young people of the area, having reestablish and maintain continuation classes, to co-operato in the maintenance of the health of young people, generally to promote the good education of the young people of the area."

Mr. H. F. Penlington said that as the powers of the local education authorities had gradually been shorn from them, the difficulty of getting suitable men to serve on them had increased as the years had gone by. At first he had been heartily in favour of the motion, but as the debate proceeded .he had found his support of it becoming ■weaker and weaker.

Mr. de Berry moved in amendment of the motion that the.word "arrange" be altered to "suggest" in the phrase "arrange correlated courses."

Mr. Just accepted the amendment." At the conclusion of tho debate he replied to certain objections that/ had been raised against-the motion. If the institute did not carry the motion, lie said, the public would imagine that the institute favoured centralisation. It was desirable that the institute should make clear its intention to have local authorities, and to give them powers, so that the control would be more fully in the hands of tho local public. Tho motion was carried. Tho following section, dealing with voluntary committees, was referred by the meeting to the committee set up to deal with the.constitution of the National Education Board, etc.: "The householders or other residents in the neighbourhood of any school may form a voluntary committee. A voluntary committee shall consist of not loss t'nan throo mombprs, of whom the lir.-d teacher of tho school shall be one. By agreement, a voluntary committee may bo formed in connection with a group of schools. The function of a voluntary committee shall he to advise the education committee concerning local mutters, tn assist in developing a suitable school environment, to prowc*" the usefulness of tlip school as >i rhmont of soci-1 life, n"'l "op-tmllv to foster by volrmtnrv effort ll'o educational nnd social interests of the a ma." Medical and Dental Treatment. Mr. J. C. Webb moved:" "That the medical and dental inspection nf schoolchildren be followed by medical nnd dental treatment, the education board shall have power to worl; in co-opera-tion, with the Health Department, and the education committee with the looal hospital and charitable aid board; assistance to be given to parents in necessitous cases." Tho motion was carried unanimously without discussion.

Tsaohors. Miss N. 15. Coad moved: "The education board shall employ and control tiie teaching staff of all preparatory, junior, and senior schools. Only qualified teachers shall be so employed, provided that in cases where no qualified teacher is obtainable other persons may bo employed temporarily. The teachers employed by tho education board shall be subject to removal from one school to another at the-discretion of the board, subject to the right of appeal." Mr. Combs expressed surprise that tho executive, had not, endeavoured to impress on the Department and the public the necessity for having more teachers. The chairman (Mr. Erskine) said that the Department was already well aware that it had a big, probleni ahead of it to provide adequate stalling. Tho motion was carried unanimously. Salaries. Mr. H. A. Parkinson moved: "The salaries of teachers shall be those designated in a schedule the several classes whereof shall be determined in accordance with the graded list of teachers. Tho minimum salary for any qualified teacher shall bo £150 per annum, and the maximum £600, provided that for special services the education board "may provide further payment in addition. Persons employed as temporary teachers shall receive £135 per annum." ' Mr. : Parkinson, speaking in support of the motion, said that when the importance of better and wider education came to bo understood, the paying of improved salaries would coirfe along with the understanding. If a proper grading system was desjgned, grading provided a just and proper basis of payment. 1 Mr.,. Hunter moved an amendment: "That the salaries of teachers shall be those designated in a schedule based on length of'efficient service, on scholastic attainment, and to some extent on special responsibility , attached to ■ certain positions occupied." In connection with his amendment he submitted a scheme of salares designed merely as a guide. The scheme, he said, was such as would -permit a young man or young woman to know when he or she -entered the service what he or she could' expect at the. ,end of twenty, thirty, or forty "years-of. efficient service." Ho would make the salary for ail untrained teacher so low tint the Government woiild be forced to get in trained teachers. If at tlic end of five years' service an untrained teacher had'not gained his or her "D" certificate ho or she ought to be dismissed. \ • At this stage the conference adjourned till thisjnorning.