CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 26 April 1932, Page 2

CANTERBURY EDUCATION BOARD

The meeting of the Canterbury Education Board was held at Christchurch on Friday, when Mr G. W. A-i'imtage presided. Also present were: Messrs j H. ,J. Bignell. J. W. Preen, S. Smiih, •R. Wild, W. John-on, VY. A. Banks, .). J. Hurley, C S. Thompson, \Y. P. opened', <>. G. (Tow. and 8. R. Ev son. Mr (I. Macdonald was appointed head, master at 'Hariliari.

.- a u's.iit ol representations received iroin the committee, it was resolved t.o grant provisional authority for the d'pe' i• I ’i ol a dental clin <• on the Taylorville School property in the ol the Health Department allocating the services of a nurse. DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS.

The total average attendance of pupils ill the secondary departments of the fo lowing -district high schools: Akaroa, Christchurch West, Fairlie, Geraldine, Hawardcn, Hokitika, Kaikouru, Lyttelton, Metliven, New Brighton, Oxford, Pleasant Point Southbridge, Sunnier, Tcnniki and Normal, was ICBI. As the district high school was the only generally available educational organisation for a specific education towards agriculture for the rank and file of future farmers, the provision of a definite and more comprehensive agricultural course for secondary pupils in district high 'schools had been a matter of concern to the board for some years. A forward step in this direction was made this year. At the instance of the senior, inspector, special non-academic courses for district high schools, of a pronounced agricultural character, wore prenared by the manual and technical staff, and issued to the schools concerned by the senior inspector with a strong recommendation for their adoption, and satisfactory arrangements for the conduct of such courses during tike ensuing year were concluded at seven district high school* in Canterbury. unification OF control.

That tho Board had not discussed the question of unification of control was pointed out by Mr S. R. Evison who remarked that the recent confeience in Wellington of Education Board representatives bad supported unification, and suggested decentralisation of the Department. It was decided to hold the matter over until the next meeting. At that time the full report from the conference would be to hand. “Because no announcement of tbe Government's intentions has been made vet the Boards should not be content to wait and see what, is going to happen." said Mr -Evison. "Such an attitude on a critical matter would be a serious blunder and will give the other people the advantage of the initiative. At the Boards’ conference in Wellington it was recognised -that a drastic change in the present system of administration is necessary and it is agreed also that, decentralisation and unification shall be the basis of reorganisation. Whatever change is to be made for the purpose of effecting decentralisation must ha conditional on economy.

“Any sobeme of reorganisation that would involve the setting up of a move costly system of administration than the oresent will not be acceptable to the Government °r to the public. And if the Boards are to be credited with sincerity when they say that they want decentralisation they must be. prepared to show how it can be brought about economically and to do something to bring it about. “It is now generally recognised that decentralisation involves unification But the Department and the Teachers Institute, neither of which is in favour of decentralisation have declare' 1 ‘hemselves tor unification. So the position at the moment is that while all the principal parties, including the Minister, are in favour of unification they arc definitely divided on the question of decentralisation as essential to prove their case and keep it before the pub lie. It is quite clear that any attempt l o brine; about decentralisation which will give the Boards administrative no wens which now belong only to the Department must fail. Such a system would substitute for the evils we now suffer evils probably as bad, if not worse. Any Board that asks for that type of decentralisation and any Board member who thinks of decentralisation as desirable only if it will involve no serious adjustments on his own Board is definitely obstructing the realisation of decentralisation. “The primary Boards were all represented at the conference in Wellington a fortnight ago and it was made clear that the smaller Boards all looked upon unification as quite within the range of practical politics so far as their inhiv'rios are concerned. The resignations accepted included: Miss A. M. Ferguson, Groymouth assistant mistress. Mr D. S. Clay, Harihari head teacher. Miss M. M. Shaw, Humphrey:; sole teacher. BUILDINGS C<IMMITTKF. Evan's Creek: In response to the Committee's application for a grant towards clearing the school grounds of blackberry, it was 'decided to reply that this work would be attended to bv the Foreman on his next visit to (lie district. Grevmouth: A memorandum was rereived from Messrs Hannon and Seddon requesting that approval of the transfer of Lot 2 to the Oreymouth Borough Council and the vesting of 'Lot 1 (part of road) in the Board h 0 endorsed on Land Transfer Plan. Request acceded to. The Foreman's report lor the month was received and adopted.