King Country Chronicle Wednesday, April 29th, 1914 BACKBLOCK EDUCATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 664, 29 April 1914, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Wednesday, April 29th, 1914 BACKBLOCK EDUCATION.

Tbe outcry being mads at present by representatives of city schools in re Bpect to the necessity for increased representation of city schools on the Board of Education, opens up a question of special interest to the country districts. People acquainted with the conditions under which backblock children have to acquire the rudiments of education will not waste much sympathy over the hardships un dergone by the town children. The Education Board in recommending that a system should be introduced in the Auckland Edusation district whereby education affairs shall be administered by a board comprising three members each from four wards left no room for doubt as to the opinion of thß sitting members that any increase in representation should be extended to country districts as well as to the city. In the promotion of education according to true democratic principles it is obvious that Darochialism can have no place in the scheme. The system of State education in the Dominion is admittedly one of the finest systems yet promoted in any country., However, it must be apparent that in a country which is undergoing the procees of initial ' development, the necessity for greater facilities must make continually recurring demands on those to whom the administration of education affairs is delegated. The districts most likely to suffer from delay,or from lack of adequate facilities.are the rural localities in which settlement is taking, place. Part of the toll levied on the pioneer who goes to the outlying places to establish a home is the lack of proper education facilities for the children. It is coming to be recognised, however, that the tendency of the system established in the Dominion is naturally to provide the most up-to-date requirements in the town centres, while the children of the backb'ocks have to pu<t up with the barest essentials. It is difficult to find a satisfactory solution of the problem. In order to keep abr«a3t of medern requirements, and give

thß rising generation of the Dominion equal opportunities to the youth of other countries it is nacessary to provide proper faeilitiea for the various branches of education. The financial aspect of the question decrees that the most advanced facilities can only be provided to a limited extent, and the town centres, where the greatest numbera exist, are naturally chosen for the establishment of the secondary and technical schools. That this is the only reasonable course to adopt will be universally acknowledged, but that the backblock districts should be equally well looked after in a manner consistent with the population and other conditions can be just as reasonably advanced. To those conversant with the conditons under which the backblock schools are established the contrast between city and backblock conditions must appear too acute. Time and again have details been furnished in these columns of conditions which should not be allowed to exist, while the delays and difficulties to be overcome in seeking an improvement are altogether too great. An expenditure of a few pounds in the backblocks to provide rudimentary education is cavilled over, while thousands of pounds are being expended in the cities to provide facilitiess which can never be dreamed of in the backblocks. Admitted that the city expenditure is quite legitimate, it is only legitimate after the essentials have been provided in the country. Unquestionably the men who are administering the education affairs of the district are doing their utmost in the interests of the whole community, but as in other public matters the districts without direct representation are liable to be overlooked. In the rearrangement of wards it is to be devoutly hoped a strenuous effort to secure the return of a backblocks representative on the board will be mads In advocating this step there is no suggestion of intentional neglect in the past, but in tfce interests of the whole education system of the Dominion it is desirable that as far as possible the various interests Bhall have direct repreaentation, By such mear.s the discontent of the backblocks, which is daily becoming more acute, will be obviated, while the responsibilities of the members representing older settled communities will be very greatly lessened. The granting of such representation would not in the slightest degree retard the providing of the most advanced facilities for the towns and cities, but it would assure to the backblocks a greater promptitude and efficiency in dealing with the requirements of those districts which are furthest removed from the centre of influence.