SCHOOLS WANTED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 291, 4 September 1919, Page 3

SCHOOLS WANTED

• " DEMANDS OF COMMITTEES. A deputation received by the Prime Minister and the Acting-Minister of Education, Sir Francis. Bell, yosterday morning, representing the conference of the School Committees' Association, urged the necessity for An educational grant of Mr. J. A. Na?h, member for Palmerston _ North, wuroduced tho deputation, wliilo _other m&mbsr3 \present were Dr. A. K. hewman, and Messrs. H. Field, T. A. K Field, L. M. Isitt, G. V. IJearce, B. P. Hudson, W. T. Jennings, T. If. Sidey, G. Wittr, C. J. Talbot, \t. A. Veitcli, S. 6. Smith, J. T. M. Hornsby,. and It. Seinple. Messrs. AVallace and.Le Grange, who placed the views of the conference bofore the Prime 6aid. that it was unfortunate that pfist Cabinets had appeared not to have realised their re"spoitsibilities towards education, The conforeuce, they explained, ioit that this year's grant for education should really be =£5,000,000. The urgent needs to be covered by this sum wero improvement!) to buildings, an increase in capitation, and an increase in teachers' salaries _ to ft standard commensurate with the importance of the work they were doing. To be on tlife safe side, however, they were suggesting only .£3,000,000. • The .State should, they declared, in a sense, conscript the child (hiring the years ot his education; education should bo entirely free from fclie kindergarten to tho ui.lversity. The deputation deplored the condition of some of the primair school buildings in tho Dominion, , declaring that at Palmers ton North, for example, tliere "\vero schools which were not really it to house animals. . Mr Massey, in reply, said he could find no fault with the greater part ot what the deputation had said, Ihe eohool committees of _Xow Zealand had a strong claim uipon his sympa thy. I hey were doing a great work without receiving much recognition for their efforts. Tho principle of the Jiklucation Act must standi even while tho necessity for improvement in certain matters of detail must be-admitted. • More, money for building purposes should certainly be mado available as promised by tho law Minister of Education. He was not prepared to 6ay what the increase would be, but he could . asmre. them that « larger vote would be given, IJi"t many taichers were receiving loss than labourers' wages was not creditable to tlx countrv. Though the session would ,bo a short' ono he hoped that legislation dealing with edueatiun would ba introduced, and they had his assurance that as hood of tho Government he would leave nothing undone that it was in his power to do to ameliorate matters.