THE EDUCATION BILL.
KIH'CATION \COAllI.) PKOTKSTS. The proposal contained in the latest Education Bill i<» merge .the Taranaki Education district in the V-ali-gn mi i district was dealt witih at yes-, tordav’s meeting ol tne Education Boa rd. out; Ax ISED OBJ ECTTOX. JCarly in the meeting it was moved by Mr K, Masters, “That tne school committees in . tne laranaki Eclheatiou district he asked to hold meetings protesting against the proposal to eliminate, the Taranaki Education Hoard.” This was dealt with early so that the committees, might .-be circularised without delay. At a later stage, the • matter was again introduced l»y the chairman, who moved that the Board enter an emphatic protest against the proposal to eliminate the Taranaki Education Board and merge the district in Wanganui. He wished to make it clear to the members -that Mhoy, must not allow .the question of the district boundaries to-Jie by a Royal Commission. This shouldMm done by the House,-and if the. House left it to a Commission, then it was shirking its duty. . The jictua! boundaries might be loft to a commission, hut they must 'see to it tnat thoic should be an education district of Taranaki with headquarters at Now Plymouth. The-boundaries- were not so important, although they should, of course, include as large an area as possible. To say that the Minister knew nothing of the boundaries was not complimentary to him. to say the least of it. If he did not make himself acquainted, with them it was a very curious business. In the mean-, time it was necessary to make an emphatic protest against the aboluioiu of the Taranaki district.
Mr Morton suggested that a fuller, resolution- was needed.. It was necessary .to give reasons for saving that' the Taranaki district should be retained. He moved, “that the Taranaki Education Board emphatically protests against the proposal in the Education Bill now before Parliament to abolish the-present. .Taranaki Education District, and urges that such a step would be against the best interests of education as a. whole, and of the Taranaki district in particular, and this Board U of opinion that for the efficient management of such an. important district us Jaranaki, containing large .areas of close settlement and still "larger areas where settlement is widely scattered it is essential that there should be a board in existence- the members of which would be in touch with and hare a knowledge of all parts of the district, and the. Board Jurther urges that the interests of education would lie better served by the retention of. the present Taranaki Provincial district and the. southern portion of the present Auckland district extendingalong the coast as far asHagum, ami inland to Te Kuiti.” Mr Bradbury seconded the motion. The Minister innst .be shown that toeliminate Taranaki would be against, the interests of education. In that argument the anticipation of increased, population and extension of the district must be one of the principal planks. The effect of education, was the only ground on which they could proceed. It would be advisable to get statistics concerning, the development and prospects of the\ Ohura and other districts.in Taranaki, which would furnish a delinite reason for the retention of the Taranaki Educatioin Oistricit. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr H. Okey, M.P., writing on the subject, said that strong representation was being made to the Minister to allow evidence to be taken before the Education -Committee, The following resolution was then carried: “That the Education Committee be .asked to hoar evidence from this Board in support of the retention of the Taranaki district, and that, in the event of this being allowed, Messrs Trimble, Masters and Morton be appointed to represent the Board.” /
The committee set up by Monday’s meeting met yesterday morning and decided to write to tln> Minister of Education urging the retention of the Taranaki district with boundaries extended at least as far as the old provincial boundaries; also asking Mr Allen to receive a deputation on the subject and to allow evidence to bo <dven before the Parliamentary Committee. The chairman (Mr J. E. Wilson) reported that he had already communicated the resolution passed at Monday’s meeting to Ministers, and members for the district, and had written to the various Mayors and chairmen of counties and town disasking their co-operation. EDUCATION BOARD DSSCUSSiON. Last night the Education Board discussed the Bill in detail, and several debatable points’ wore raised on which the Board will make representations to the Minister, Section ]4 provides that the membership of a Board from rural areas shall be limited to six. An urban area is defined as a town of not loss than 8000 inhabitants, and the whole of.Taranaki would therefore be a rural, district. Tha .Board expressed the opinion that a membership of six was not sufficient and will suggest that where a district is wholly rural the Board shall number nine.
,The clauses dealing, with memebrs’ expenses are looked on as fairly satisfactory, except that the Board will suggest that a sum bo granted
for “unauthorised expenditure.” Exception was taken to section 51, in which it is provided that no ne.v i school be established within five miles jut on existin'' school. 1 he. Board will suggest tnat, this bo altered to three miles,. It will alsu.be suggested that a sub-section, giving the Minister. power to close scnools which he does not consider necessary, be deleted, so as To leave, this power to ■the Board’s discretion. Another sub-section of section 51 provides that the Board may provide a school where the children number less than nine and require parents to make the teacher’s salary up to £IOO per annum. l ids the Board will suggest should he deleted. The Board expressed the opinion that the appointment of inspectors should not he taken from the Boards, but approves of a Dominion scale ofsalaries. It is of opinion that pupil teachers should receive ,£SO for the hist year, not £35 as provided by the Bill. The principal objection was raised to 1 the part of the Bill dealing with scholarships. In 1 this no mention is made, of the Taranaki scholarships. The 10.08 Act has,been repealed and ns the Bill does not ro-enaet that part of it dealing with the Taranaki scholarships, these—by oversight or otherwise—have disappeared.—(Abridged from the “News”). THE ■ PREMIER'S ASSURANCE. Mr C. E. Baker, of New Plymouth, who has taken from the first a prominent part in the agitation against the Education Bill as far as it affects Taranaki (states l(he News) wrote on Saturday last to the Prime Minister on the subject, and has received the following telegram : “There is no need to worry over the proposed boundaries of Education districts as set out in the Bill. The Minister stated in the House when introducing the f measure that the boundaries were only tentative, and ill that was wanted was to reduce the number of Education districts. Personally, I feel sure that New Plymout will still, remain the head-; quarters of the Education district, with enlarged boundaries.” DUNEDIN MALE TEACHERS. [Per Puses Association.] Dunedin, July 22. A special meeting of the Dunedin Male Teachers’ Association was held oi: Tuesday to consider the scheme of salaries in the proposed new Education Bill. It \tas unanimously resolved “That this meeting of the Dunedin Male Teachers’ Association thanks Mr Allen for the proposed Education Bill, and, while admitting it is an improvement on the present Act, it wishes respectfully to draw his attention to.the fact that glaring anomalies exist, and must exist in the proposed salaries scheme so long as average attendance forms the ;basis for payment, and hence this 'association reaffirms the principle that any satisfactory . scheme must he based on efficiency and service.” A special committee was appointed to consider the various anomalies contained in the proposed Kill.
At a representative meeting of women, it was resolved that a resolution be forwarded to the Minister of Education, approving of his action in making provision in the Bill for the appointment of ' women inspectors, and thanking him for the interest thus shown in the educational welfare of girls. I
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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 78, 23 July 1914, Page 8
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1,356THE EDUCATION BILL. Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 78, 23 July 1914, Page 8
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