EDUCATION POLICY

Hokitika Guardian, 5 February 1929, Page 5

EDUCATION POLICY

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTER. WELLINGTON, February 2. Several important statements regarding future policy in connection with education were made by the lion. H. Atmore (Alinister of'Education) to a. deputation ifroin the New Zealand Educational Institute, which sought to know the -Minister’s intentions in reorganising the system. The deputation, which was beaded by Air Hall (president), expressed cordial pleasure at being able to meet the Alinister and discuss many questions frankly with him. Air Atmore, answering the suggestion that he should take the teachers’ representatives into his confidence in regard to re-organisation, replied that lie wished to make it perfectly clear that any change of policy would he decided by the Government, and all statements of policy would come from the Alinister. He recognised that even if re-organisation were accomplished, it would he impossible to, sit down with the comfortable idea, that tho question had been settled for twenty years. The altering conditions of modern life made it necessary to keep education in a state of flux, otherwise tho system would get behind that of other • countries, and to that extent not only handicap our boys and girls, hut retard the Dominion’s development. “I hope very shortly,” added the Minister, “ that I will he able to announce that our education system will be brought more into line with the requirements of modern, life, so that the training of boys and girls, in the later period of their school life will bear more relation to the work they will ultimately have to undertake.” THE EMPLOYMENT PROBLEAI. A request from the deputation that the Minister should set up a central authority to provide vocational guidance to" those leaving school drew from Air Atmore the remark that at present, unfortunately, the problem was not so much that of finding the exact calling that would suit the applicants, but of finding tlienr some employment, no matter of what description. This trouble, the Alinister suggested, was entirely due to the fact that the Dominion's land settlement system had completely broken down, and it was quite obvious that where over 90 per cent of the country’s annual production of wealth came from the land, the stagnation of this dominant industry necessarily caused unemployment. A progressive land settlement policy was, he declared, absolutely necessary for the stimulation of employment primarily in the country, but a secondary effect would immediately resrtlt in tho towns. It had been said that the present necessity was not so much of finding the square peg for the square hole, but off finding a “hole ” for any. kind of peg, and this was a most regrettable state of affairs. The Minister was asked if the regulations of the Department could bo made clearer, especially those relating to sick leave and leave of absence, and that- regulations should not be peimitted to over-ride statute law. The ieply of the Minister was that it is the policy of the Government, enunciated! at the elections, to have as few regulations and Orders-in-Council as possible. The deputation would recognise that some were necessary, but lie cordially agreed that these should carry out the expressions of opinion of tiie people’s representatives in Parliament rather than reflect—as had. been the case sometimes in the pastr —the opinions of a minority. The Minister expressed sympathy with a request that certain anomalies in the salaries of head teachers m responsible positions should he remove , but this and other questions were inevitably governed by considerations of finance. •■.Wherever it was possible to work in the direction of the ideals indicated by the deputations, he hoped to do so, and, while it might be necessary at times to refuse requests made through commendable zeal, he was quite sure that he as Minister would lie able to co-operate with the teaching service in administering our education system. ' ■ • y