COST OF EDUCATION

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 80, 1 October 1931, Page 12

COST OF EDUCATION

MORE HEAT THAN LIGHT

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l have followed the discussion in the correspondence columns of tie "Evening Post" regarding the propriety, at this difficult time, of reducing the cost 6i education, and particularly the cost o£ the secondary schools. It is a pity that this d'beussion seems to bo producing more heat than light. I would urge our friends tlic teachers to ceabe talking about "robbing children of their rights." I think that the men I talk with are mainly reasonable, lair-minded, and respoiibible men; and they iegard such a phrase as nonsense. They are agreed that our expenditure on education is much greater than the State can bear. People in this country are not inclined to defraud children of the* rights—our record proves the contrary—but just now the backs of tho people, farmers, business men, and otliers,, are breaking' under the burden. The tearfhers have kept their sheltered employment; they have suffered only a cut of ten per cent. They should be careful about the language they employ. May I ask those who know to give us some .information that may help? We virtually -, give free secondary education to every boy or girl who asks for it. (The test of proficiency is admitted to be easy; the child who fails to pass this test must be very weak). Is the same free secondary education given in other countries, e.g., in England, or New South Wales, or other Australian States? Or is free secondary • education in these countries confined to pupils who are shown by a much severer test to be likely to benefit by it? Is it a fact, or is it not, that the overcrowding of .secondary schools with boys and girls of very slender ability, who have little desire or none at all for serious intellectual pursuits, is a grave educational handicap,1 and a sheer waste of money and efl'ort? '. What does it cost to educate pupils in our secondary schools 'I I am told nearly £40 each per annum. Is that so? Is most of this paid in salaries to teachers? xJr the teachers themselves set such value upon thiß free secondary education for all, that they would be willing to sacrifice^ let us say, one-third of their incomes, in order that this education may be continued to all boys and girls during this time of stress? Even then the teachers' loss would not be commensurate with that of many farmer* and shopkeepers.—l am, etc., ' JUSTICE.