CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 August 1927, Page 1

CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD.

CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 18. The Canterbury Education Board held its annual meeting yesterday. There were present: Messrs IV. P. Spencer (chairman), W. A. Banks, Li. H. Andrews, J. Maze, G. IV. Armitage, IV. H. AVinsor, J. G. Gow, C. Hughes, R. Wild, W. John"'!! and C. S. Thompson. STANDING COMMITTEES.

Committees for the ensuing year were elected as follows:—Appointments Committee: Messrs E. H. Andrews (chairman), J. G. Gow, W. A. Banks, G. Hughes, W. Johnson, and R, Wild. Buildings Committee—Messrs IV. H. IV. in so r (chairman), G. IV. Annitage, H. Bignell, and J. Maze. Agriculture and Manual and Technical Committee—Messrs AY. P. Spencer (chairman). AA\ A. Banks, O. W. Annitage, H. Bignell, G. Hughes, J. Maze, and AV. IT. AVinsor. Financial Committee—Messrs G. AV. Armitage (chairman), E. H. Andrews, IT. Bignell, G. Hughes, AV. Johnson, and J. Maze. Normal School Committee—Messrs \\ r . A. Banks (chairman), E. H. Andrews, J. G. Gow. O. Hughes, AY. Johnson, R. AA’ild and AAL TT. AVinsor. The nowlv-elected chairman, Mr C. X. Thompson, is a. member of all committees ex-officio.

PROTEST AGAINST ABOLITION. The chairman (Mr AAV P. Spencer) said that it was “in the air” that the Government had a proposal on foot to abolish education hoards. “This, in my opinion,” he said, “would he a most retrograde step, and is a move that will have to be watched carefully hv the board during the coming year. The Canterbury Board is run more economically than any other board in the Dominion, and its abolition would have serious consequences.” Air K. H. Andrews supported Mr Spencer. The abolition of education hoards and centralisation in Wellington certainly would he a most retrograde move. Mr AV. A. Banks said he did not think it should go out from the hoard that the Government was proposing to do away with education hoards, as this so far was only a rumour.

A member: But it has not been denied.

Mr Andrews: No, it has not been denied, nor has it been affirmed. Air R„ AVild moved -“That a return be made out by the secretary, showing the expenditure of the hoard as (a) teachers’ salaries, (b) office expenses, (c) expenses of members in attending meetings, each item to he shown as cost per pupil in tlie hoard’s district.”

Speaking to his motion. Mr Wild said that the hoard carried out too much of its work in committee, and consequently the reports of meetings published in the newspapers were too condensed. Thus the public knew toy little of what was done by the hoard. There were some very competent men on the board—members of which received no payment, for their services and if their services were lost by tho abolition of the hoard, tho result would be disastrous.

Air Andrews said that Air AA ild s motion could do no harm, and ho thought that the hoard should go even further, and if a derailed statement of the expenditure for.'sav, the last twelve years, were prepared, the public would he surprised. Air AVild’s motion was. carried unanimously.