BEARING FRUIT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 16, 11 September 1931, Page 3

BEARING FRUIT

("Post" Special Commissioner).

EDUCATION REPORT DECREASE IN ADMISISTRATIVE COSTS . "

WELLINGTON, Thursday. Although financial considerations have made it difficult to g've effect to r number of the recommendations of die Select Committee on Education which reported to Parliament last year, the annual report of the Education Department, presented in tl.e ■House of Representatives, states 'that tho report has aroused deep interest on the part of all sections of the commun'ty interested in education, and has already borne fruit in the . increasing attention that is being given co methods of decreasing administratrve costs and to the broadening of the secondary schools curriculum. "The time is now past for the community to be satisfied with the narrow academic type of secondary education for which for many years 'was the only type available in this country for pupils entering secondary schools," the report states. "In a previous report attention was directed to the tendency of the modern secon- ' dary sehool to draw nearer to ' the technieal Iv'gh sehool. The two types of sehool can never be the same,: except through complete amalgamation, as ,it would clearly be impossible to equip every secondary sehool in the expensive manner necessary for the successful organisation of vocational instruction. Amalgamation "Where amalgamation does not take place it will still be desirable for those pupils desiring to prepare for industrial pursuits to enrol at a technieal schools and for those who desire secondary education of a broad and general type with or without a definite bias toward univers.ty trainmg to enter the ordinary schools. In an amalgamated postprimary sehool — that is, a sehool providing both technieal and academic courses — thfere will be much less danger of pupils embarking on the wrong course than there is when there are separace technieal and secondary schools. It may be anticipated, therefore, that the type of amalgamation inaugurated when the New Plymouth Boys' High Sehool and the Technieal Sehool were converted 'nto one sehool is likely to find increasing support in this country." S'ze of Classes The report states that an effort was made to reduce the size of classes in primary schools by appointing a large number of additional assistant teachers, but unfortuately that muehneeded reform was hindered by lack of money, and the staffs had to revert to the former standard. As soon, as the financial depression passes, further progress in that direction will be possible. There are more than sufficient teachers available for the purpose, as the Department, in determIning the number of entrants to the training colleges, took into account the need for more liberal sehool staffing. The report expresses regret that so many young teachers must neeessarily remain unemployed -until the financial position becomes easier. The situat'.on cannot be met, the report adds, by admitting fewer teachers for training, as the number of student teachers accepted in any one year must depend on the staff needs five years afterwards, since the period of training, occupies four years. While it is impossible to forecast the financial position with absolute accuracy so many years ahead, there appears every prospect that the situation will soon become more normal, and that material education progress will again beeeme possible. Expenditure The expenditure on education during 1930, excluding building, amounted to £2 9s 3d per head, as against £2 10s 2d per head in the previous year, analysed as follows: Primary & 1 11s 7d; secondary 5s 4d; technieal 3s; higher education, ls 8d,