HIGH SCHOOL BOARDS.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 May 1924, Page 4

HIGH SCHOOL BOARDS.

RESOLUTION'S OF CONFERENCE

WELLINGTON, May O’S.

The conference of High School Hoards to-day was attended by representatives of Hoards throughout the Dominion. -Mr Bill-ward (Palmerston North,) was chairman. A resolution was passed by fifteen ! votes to ten: “That this conference is dissatisfied with the excessive and increasing centralisation of control of secondary schools in the Education Department.” Other resolutions were passed in favour of the Hoards having wider scope as regards expenditure on incidentals; that resignations from stall's should only take place at the end of terms; that small schools should have a relatively larger allowance for incidentals; that the holders of junior

scholarships should receive a hoarding allowance if they passed a I)istliet High .School to attend a. secondary school; that greater recognition he given to music if efficiently taught ; that the principle of ama'.gapiation ol technical and high schools 'in small or intermediate towns he approved; that Hoards nf Governors of secondary schools have representatives on Councils of Education ; that science subjects he given equal marks with classical in .sihol.irship and matriculation oxamina- ■ t ions. i- An important principle was involved in a resolution that secondary L schools should have the same right ' to receive grants from counties and - boroughs as agricultural and technical - schools, and that the Hoards should r he encouraged to obtain donations and i create endowments by providing that a income accruing from investments t should not he reckoned in reduction of income from the Department, e pi ON. C. J. HARR'S ADDRESS.

The need for a proper system of control of expenditure on secondary s"huols was stressed by the Minister of Education in addressing the conference. The Minister refoned to the enormous increases in expenditure since |;)()!, when the system was nationalise 1. Deferring to charges made about the regulations, he said he would, welcome suggestions for an improvement. The expenditure on secondary education was about :li millions per annum, and I*nl l is 1 1 1 ■-1 • 11 1 would never hand that sum over to the local bodies, without some restriction or regulation. There would h.* chaos in a week. The Government found nearly all the money, and it was not uiirensonalde that it should have

a fair amount of control over its expenditure. Prior to almost every Roard had a dilfrrent scale of staffing and salaries. He quoted some anomalies in salaries. So serious was the dissatisfaction that iho Legislature passed an Act which gave a Dominion scheme of salaries, appointments and grading which, he claimed, gave satisfaction to tin* teachers, lie dill n t think the Hoard wanted to revel t to the old position.