EDUCATION

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1930, Page 7

EDUCATION

SELECT COMMITTEE’S REPORT. OBJECTION TO CHANGE OF CONTROL. AUCKLAND, July 24. “We are not here to condemn 'the report of the Parliamentary Committee of Education,” said Mr A. Burns, chairman of the Auckland Education Board, at a special meeting this morning which was called to consider the report. “We, however, take exception to several side issues and the chief of these is the preposed change in administration. The Government proposes to take in from local control and to hand it to a central authority at Wellington. “The part that seems unfair is that allegations and comparisons have been made by- the head of the Education Department and those who have voluntary given their services in the cause of education have not had a chance to reply. If the report is true, we should assist the change, hut we feel that it has not been a fair report and the proposed change has been decided on solely on the advice of Mr T. B. Strong, Director of Education, who tried to do the same thing three years ago. “At that time,” continued Mr Burns, “we were tried behind closed doors and it raised jsuc-li a storm of indignation that the scheme' was abandoned. The opportunity has now been taken, however, to re-introduce the scheme, and it is likely to go through because members of Parliament will not jeopardise their seats by voting against it. “If,” said Mr Burns, Shaking about the new bodies, “I did _ not know that the report had been written by two members of the Education Department I would have thougjht that it had been written by Mark Twain when it talks of the dignified and important place the Boards would occupy in the new system. Everything is to be taken away from them.”

The protest against alleged overlapping by iboards was met by Mr Burns with an example of what he referred to as a “glaring examp’e of red tape.’’ He was referring to the appointment of a head teacher for the Kowhai Junior High School. To appoint a teacher the Boai;d had to refer to the Senior Inspector of Primary Schools. He passed it on to the chief inspector and it then went on to the Education Department, finally returning to the Board. “If that is not over-lapping I would like to know what is,” he added. A resolution moved by Mr King, “That the report of the Committee proposing centralised control of education was not in the best interests of New Zealand, and that it would deny to the people the right of electing those whom they wished to govern education” was carried unanimously. It was also decided to ask school committees in the district for their support, Mr 'Snell gave his support to Mr King’s motion. “The next step will be a dictatorship and then we will be reduced to serfdom, ’’ he said. Mr Burns: Mussolini We should bring the whole question before the the politicians They do not want to filch rights from the people. Messrs A. Burns, T. IJ. Wells and the secretary were appointed the Board’s delegates to a conference of education boards to discuss the whole question. Mr Burns pointed out that the delegates’ expenses would have to be paid out of unauthorised expenditure. “Oh! I’ll put in my whack,” said Mr Banks.