The Daily News THURSDAY, AUGUST 1. OVERLAPPING ADMINISTRATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 1 August 1907, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, AUGUST 1. OVERLAPPING ADMINISTRATION.

a is somewhat surprising that in a new and alleged progressive country iikc .New Zealand so many of the Old Worul cirors of administration should have been allowed to fake root, but history icpeats itself. There is, however, no valid reason why some rational attempt should not be made to remedy the evils consequent on hasty or ill-con-sidered legislation, and an alluring as well as a fruitful Held for operation is to be found in connection with the present system, or want of system, with regard to educational mailers. Probably there are excuses to be made for the 'complexity and overlapping that have crept into this department of the State. Legislation has. somewhat of necessity, been of a piecemeal and disjointed nature. We have been feeling our way. Nor . must we overlook the fact that the true science of education has oniy of late years become established, and the dovetailing of the primary, secondary, university and technical systems is "only very recent history., We have now an excellent series of steps up which the rising generations may climb to knowledge fitting them to take part in almost any sphere of life. So )ar, so good. The great blot on the educational escutcheon is ils complex, extravagant and wasteful administration. The more this is studied so much the greater is the measure of its condemnation. Considering the vast sums involved in the carrying out of primary, secondary and technical tuition it is surprising that comparatively so few tak.i sullicient interest in the subject to give it more than a passing thought.

Doubtless many will be surprised at the amount of money controlled by the Department and the various Boards wliich exist under the present modus operandi of the educational machine, ft is in the matter of these Boards that there is a pressing need for the pruning knife so that not only may the unnecessary oodies be relegated to decent interment, but much useful money become available for scholarships for promising and deserving pupils. At present there are Boards of Education, High School Boards, Boards of School Commissioners, School Committees, Technical and Manual Committees, and College Governors all taking part in the administrative work of educational matters, while the Department reigns supreme over all. Leaving the universities out of the question, a glance at the cost of the remaining authorities should certainly convey its own moral. Taking the figures for 1005 (the only ones we have available), tho following results appear:—

(read Office .. .. .. .. £CISO Primary Schools £580,809 Secondary and university £83,080 Technical £43,656 Cadets £4004

£710,385 The total expenditure by the Department was £7X4,805, but this includes Native, Industrial and Roman Callioiic Schools, Institutes for the Blind and for Deaf Mute-, as well as othur subsidies such as to libraries. The Minister's salary is not inciluded in the above.

Education Boards (management expenses) £32,075 High School Boards do. .. £3130 Endowment do £3105 Interest .. £BSO Sundries £3210 School Commissioners (management) £4500 Of Hie .COUW oiiil which is set down as Mi: expense ol I lie Department no one I enn iuKe exception lo ilie amount, especially as two-iJimts ol H is absorbed oy tile clerical staff. Contrasted Willi ttie management expenses of lUe thirteen Lducation Boards (ucar,y £33,UOU.i, the Head Office appears lo be economically admiui^tered—whether it is ellieiently and practically conducted let those decide who have occasion to transact business with the stall. Apparently the management of each Education Board (latiing an average) involves the expenditure ut nearly half the sum spent on the Head Office, Die controlling centre ol the whole system. Whether the co=ts of the Boards is justiiiabie or not opens ,up a large question, and much may well be said on both sides. Certainly until centralisation takes place, and local matters are placed in the hands of school committees, the present method must continue. Signs are not wanting as to the trend of public opiniion towards centralisation, coupled with the grading of teachers so as to ensure promotion to those who have proved themselves worthy, and, as a consequence, the weeding out ol the failures and time servers. Meanwhile it is only right that the best use bo made of Education Boards, and is only due to the members serving - on these bodies to give them, or at least the major part of them, great praise for the ability, zeal and administrative wisdom displayed in the performance of duties wliich are always onerous, and frequently demand the exercise of peculiar tact, and common sense

The question naturally arises whether there is now any justification for the existence of two educational authorities in a district By the institution of District High Schools under the management of Education Boards (the natural outcome of recent progressive legislation) the very sensible principle of entrusting the Boards with the management of both primary and secondary schools has been wisely settled The death blow has been given to "high" schools as "class" schools by reason of the compulsory admission of qualified pupils from primary schools in order to receive subsidies from tlie State and enjoy the endowments already granted. Under these altered circumstances there is justice in the contention that no valid reason exists for the continuance of the dual control of secondary schools. It is true that these schools arc of two kinds, endowment and subsidised, but that is no argument for maintaining an indefensible aud illogical position, lather does it strengthen the plea for unification so that the endowments may be used for actually benefiting the children rather than being frittered away in management expenses. At present over £IO,OOO a year is lost in this way, and, surely, the greater part of this large sum would be far better employed if used as scholarships than practically sunk in management expenses. Besides this aspect of the question there is the more important, principle involved in securing an absolute and methodical sequence of training such as takes place between the primary ami the District High Schools, There inn now be no question of the fitness of the members of I'Mucation Boards to manage High Schools, aud the lime k'cuh In have arrived when the present anomaly shall lie ended by the abolition of High School Boards of Governors. Let them receive, as they are en titled 10, the thanks and blessings of the ponplcj aud depart in p"ace.

I Vivo of these l bodies have a!ron<ly outlived tliciv functions though they Mill exist and vendor arcmmls of tlioir finances to tin} Department. Tle-ir only duty appears In be to npply fov I'muK in wh'il.- or in part. t<> tin l establishment • if -■< !m]ar-hi|K or in ;ti-1 of local District lli«rli Schools or secondary schools—a process that could lie far Lottor and less expensively parried out by direct means. A few extracts from thf» olDcial accounts of these six useless bodies may be of interest. The Auckland Girls' Uigh Sfliool started the year 1!'0."> villi a credit balance of over received about as income. paid CI !0< for bank cheques. nNo J(n 5d lor interest on current ncrount, spent C3S2 under an item of miscellaneous (surveys, etc.) —a very ili'iu and had a balance of -Ulft,lfl3 at ! the eh>>c of the yenv. The only satisfactory feature in relation to this school i- iliat it is under the management of the Auckland Kducation Hoard. The rii-borne High School started the year with a balance of C2H3S, received (inter ' alia) C 457 from the School Commission- i ers. paid the Board £2/5, J ejjent £32 ou management expenses,

£2lO on technical classes, and had a balance of ' £3025. The Greyinouth | High School hud £1303 in hand I and received £75 from the School Commissioners, also £57 for interest. The payments included £75 to the Education Hoard (practically handing over the amount received from the Commissioners), secretary's salary £lO. 'The Hokitika High School Coventors started with a balance of £1507, received from reserves £2O, interest £Ol, School Commissioners C 73. Office expenses were £lO, miscellaneous £l7, grant to Education Hoard £2OO, and for wood-work class £5. The Akaroa High School had only a small revenue, and tha chief expenditure was n grant of £175 to the District iiigh Scliool, the ofljc-e expenses only amounting to £4.

As lo what u>a.v lie termed the collegiate establishments (including grammar Schools) they stand on a different plane to the High Schools, and the time should not be far distant when every I large centre in New Zealand should have its public school acting chiefly as a feeder to the university, with proper boarding accommodation attached. It is only fitting that each of these high grade schools should have its own Governors, the only stipulation in the public interests being that ill all eases where State endowments are attached there shall be provision for scholarships to lie held by deserving students from primary schools, otherwise these endowments should be diverted into their proper channel. To accord with the spirit of the age these schools should practically be self-supporting, all subsidies being utilised in the nause of merit. Then there is the institution of the School Commissioners, hut this we will have to leave for another time.