EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 261, 31 July 1919, Page 5

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

STRENGTHENING OF sTHE STAFF. Proposals for the strengthening of the etaff of the Education Department were referred to by the Minister of Education (the Hon. J. A. Hanan) in a statement ■ made by him to a reporter yesterday. Mr. Hanan said he was satisfied, from the inner knowledge that ho had gained, that there was good reason for improvring and strengthening the staff. As a result of the Education .Act of 1914, inspectors of schools had been brought under Departmental control! He was satisfied that, there was .need for Appointing a chief inspector of primary schools, whose work, inter alia, would be the supervision and co-ordination of the work of inspectors of primary spkools throughout New Zealand, and the supervision and adjustment of the syllabus of instruction. There was ' the important question of 6chool books and the need for doing something in the direction of eecuring uniformity, of text books on certain subjects, such as arithmetic and geography. Thero were othor matters, whioh required turther attention, and the knowledge and experience of such an officer as was proposed would be of great service to the Department. Cabinet had approved' the making of this appointment. The school-building branch of tho Department also required strengthening, not only to meet the extended building; programme that was now being carried out, but to provide for future needs. • The work that was thrown on to Mr. Spencer in this connection was certainly too much to ask one officer to carry. As a step in the direction of strengthening this branch it was decided a fortnight ago that applications should be called for an officer having architectural knowledge and experience. Speaking of the Department as a whole, Mr. Hanan said that, as the result of close investigation of the work done by the various branches, ho had satisfied himself that tho office had been understaffed, particularly from the point of view of men holding professional qualifications. "I look forward," added the Ministor, "to the work of the Department growing considerably as the lesult of the increased public interest which is being manifested in tho field of educational endeavour, and the important developments that'l can see looming on tho horizon. Many reforms of an important nature have been accomplished during the lost ii years,' and these, I feel sure, will be extended as time' goes on."