EDUCATION COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 384, 2 June 1915, Page 5

EDUCATION COMMISSION.

CONCLUSION OF EVIDENCE. By Telogranh.—l'resa Association. Wellington, Last Night. Tlje Education Districts Commission litis concluded taking evident*. Dr. W. (!. Anderson, Director of Education, said tlint his general attitude was that the principle of local ftdminshould be retained, and that districts should he adjusted in such a way as to make administration by boards eliicient. It was essentia" that the. districts should he large enough to have an assured finance with sulbcient incomes to have, an average. At present many small districts had not enough income to do this. The new districts should be larger than many of the present' ones. The point of view of the teacher also demajided a large district in which "there should be a sufficient number of schools to enable the board to exercise its rights of transfer and to establish a ladder of promotion. ■Mr. H. <!. Parkinson, secretary of % New Zealand Institute, said the institute had for many years been er'-ing the reduction of the educational di.-'nets to four corresponding to the university districts. The institute stroii'dv that the number of districts j.ho-.i1,! be the lowest proposed, seven. Ti'o national aspect of education was at present obscured to a large-extent !»y the division into small districts. The existing system had also failed to elicit local interest and enthusiasm. The widening of districts would lead to wider views on the real s; o:;e of, education, and by throwing more responsibility on local communities it would call for more active and intelligent interest. Mr. Parkinson added that the Dominion grading scheme would not remove the difficulty of transferring teachers from small schools though it might reduce it. It was not now impossible tinder .the Act for teacher.-, to be. reduced in salary, owing to a falling oil' in the attendance at their schools, and to there being 110 other school to which they might bo l.'i'.nsfc!'Aftc r" next year the Act would •afeguard teachers in this respect.