CENTRALISING COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 472, 8 June 1912, Page 4

CENTRALISING COUNTRY SCHOOLS.

A point which has been accorded a degree of prominence in connection with education matters of late is the concentration of country schools. ; There is no doubt that Bound argu- /•• ments can be adduced in support of such a suggestion, but tne subject is one which merits the most careful attention of King Country residents. Whatever danger the may be of too many separate schools being established in the country districts it is safe to assert that the King Country cannot be cited as an awful example in that respect. Judging from the trend of comment on the question hitherto there seems to be good grounds for the opinion that there will be a greater dicffiutly in future in obtaining schools in new districts than has been the case in the paßt. We would point out that in the interests of the Dominion as a whole it is of the highest importance that every provision should be made for the education of the youth of the backblocks, Before any centralising scheme can 'be given effect to without seriously prejudicing the country children our backlock roads will require to be brought to a much more satisfactory condition. We have every confidence that any movement calculated to operate to the detriment of country scholars wilt receive the most profound consideration of the authorities. At the same time it is well for those most intimately affected to be on the alert. The people who are advocating the centralising of schuols are probably not fully alive to backblock conditions, and may be governed to a large extent by the possibility of greater efficiency and better results from an academic point of view. Needless to state there are many modifying influences to this aspect of the question, which are only understandable by those whose homes are in the wilderness. It is, therefore, well to keep abreast of tUsj movement which is being advocated, with a view to conserving the interests of those to whom the question of education is already sufficient of a problem, from entirely different causes to those which are animating the advocates of centralisation.