TRAINING COLLEGES

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 122, 19 November 1932, Page 7

TRAINING COLLEGES

HOUSE :: SUPPORTS POLICY

A 1 brief protesfc.against the closing of the teachers-training colleges was made ia thej House, of Representatives during the discussion on. the Education Estimates ; yesterday, ,but an .amendment moved by' Mr. F. Jones (Labour, Dunedin South) to reduce the vote by £9 as- a protest ■against the Government's action was heavily defeated. Mr. Jones said that: the pioneers of Otago and' Southland had provided-en-dowments totalling 351,327 acres for educational purposes, and the provinces for that reason alone had a strong claim-to a training college. The Department claimed that by the closing of the colleges in Dunedin and Wellington, £.14,000 could bo saved, but the Otago Education Board had drawn up a scheme .whereby a. saving of £17,000 could- be made and the four colleges retained.. It .appeared that .there would be no-probationers taken on next year, and probably.in 1934= all the training colleges would be closed. , Mr.X A. . Hash. (Government, Palmerston): What about the -teachers who cant-get positions? . Mr. Jones said that the Government was aggravating' the. position by closing, the. country schools and establishing a. huge correspondence school. Mr. .B. McKeen; (Labour, Wellington £outjh) ~ commenced to support' the amendment,-when,the Chairman of Committees'- (Mr. S. G.. Smith) ruled the discussion on-.the.training colleges out of order.on.the grounds that it was the subject of a petition now before a Select Committee of the House. . The amendment, was rejected by 36 votes \to. 24,, Mr. J. .A. Macpherson (Goy eminent,. Oamaru) rp-oting with-the Labour Par_fcy_,