EFFECT ON CHILDREN QUESTIONED

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 192, 10 May 1940, Page 5

EFFECT ON CHILDREN QUESTIONED

School Consolidation Scheme It would be interesting to know what effect consolidation of schools had on the health of children, specially the younger pupils, who had to travel to and from school by bus, said Mr. M. J. Smith (North Taranaki) when a remit on the question of consolidation was before the New Zealand Educational institute at its annual meeting in Wellington yesterday. A remit, submitted by North Taranaki, urged that the whole question ot consolidation should be investigated by a committee appointed by the institute, and that a reiiort should be made to the annual meeting next year. This remit was subsequently amended and delegates agreed to the question being lef.t with the executive. Mr. D. Forsyth, vice-president, said the Council of Educational Research was going fully into the question. Another delegate said he was anxious that consolidation should never be applied to Native schools, which were different in many ways from pakeha institutions. Special attention, he said, should be given to the exemption of Native schools.

Mr. G. H. Mitchell (North Otago) said the question of consolidation was one that could not be considered broadly. A full knowledge was required of the geography and conditions peculiar to each district. The president, Mr. D. C. I’ryor. said the Council of Educational Research was very anxious to go ahead with its investigations as soon as possible, and was waiting till it obtained the services of- a suitable person to undertake the work. This investigation would be most thorough and the conditions of each district would be studied. The remit carried was: "That the whole question of consolidation of schools be investigated by the executive.”