MINISTER OF EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1915, Page 4

MINISTER OF EDUCATION.

VISIT TO SOUTH TAKANAKI. EDUCATION BOUN»AI!IF.S. By Telegraph.—Special to Daily News. Hawcra, Last Night. The Minister of Education, Hon.'.l. A. Hanan, accompanied by Mr. !•'. Pirani (chairman of the Wan'ganui Education Hoard) arrived here to-niylit, having motored through from Wauganui. After dinner the Minister met a deputation of citizens in regard to the education boundaries question. After this deputation the Minister met teachers of the Hi'.wcra schools and discussed education matters with them. To-morrow Mr. Hanan will spend a busy day in the district, and in the evening he will return to Wangariui.

The Minister mot the deputation of citizens at the Technical College. On behalf of the people of Ha worn, Mr. E. Dixon (the Mayor) cviendcd a weleo;r.'e to Mr. Hanan, and Mr. Blair, representing the Haw-era Farmers' Class, expressed, on behalf of the farmers, appreciation of the work that had been done by the Education Department in the interests of farmers. The district was fraught with wonderful possibilities, .-.ml farmers appreciated the assistance t/iey had received from the dcparU'ei;'.. Farmers had for a long time Hi U.; want of more expert knowledge In I rating soil, but. new matters had been gradually advanced by the expert at Hawera, and what he had done had been of great benefit. The expert had accumulated the ideas of leading farmers in the district, and had employed these ideas with his own, with beneficial results, lie had conducted cla-ses for some years, and the popularity of the classes was increasing by leaps and bounds. If the expert was lost by a change of boundaries farmers in " this district would not have the same confidence in a new man, and it would take a new man seven or eight years to work up to the standard reached by the present expert. If the work were interfered with now all the good that had been done would be lost. Mr. Blair declared that in a few years the district would provide an example for the whole Dominion. Mr. 0. Hawkins supported the remarks of Mr. Blair.

Mr. L. K. Hiunillon,president of the Egmont A. and I'. Association, said that the land embraced by the Wauganui Kducation District was probably one of the most productive portions of the Dominion! Farmers were going in for extensive cultivation, and it was only by taking advantage of the expert that fnrmcrs wore able to get most out of their land. Tf the expert were taken away the district would not be farmed to its full possibilities. Mr. A. Hunter, 11 member of the Kgmont A. and ].'. Association, said they were all loyal Taranakians, but in comparing the worV. of the Taranaki Board with that of the Wanganui Board they were forced to the conclusion that the Wanganui Board had a big lead on the Taranaki Board, and therefore the people of South Taranaki realised that it would be a disadvantage to be tacked on to the Taranaki Board.

Mr. J. (I. Osborne, representing (lie, Chamber of Commerce, entered a protest against the proposed alteration in the district, which, he said, the whole commercial coirimunity of Hawera felt would be detrimental.

Mr. P. O'Den, n member of the Wang.tniii Education Board, emphasised the wishes of the people of .South Taranaki not'to be included in the Taranaki Edueation District. lie mentioned that Tlaxvera wanted the disestablishment of its High School in order (hat an aaricultural high school eouid be provided. Geographically, and for every other reason, Taranaki should be included in the Wanganui Education District.

Mr. Brown, the agricultural expert, outlined what he was doing to assist farmers in the district.

The Minister, in reply, said that when the country's attention was concentrated on the war, and when the war was absorbing the country's linances, the customary attention could not be given to other matters. The funds available for the Education Department were limited, and, further, it was necessary to see what economy should be employed. His path was therefore beset with difliculties. lie fully recognised the value of technical education for fanners, and felt that the technical side of agriculture had to be maintained and developed. Much more remained to be done when the financial outlook was more, favorable. It was evpected that after the war there would he a wider field for New Zealand exports, and if this was to he taken advantage of everything had to be done to see that, the products of the Dominion shuiild not be excelled by those of other countries. It was to ensure this that everything should be done in developing technical agricultural instruction. In regard to the question of education districts boundaries he could express no opinion. Under the Bill of last sesison the question of the reduction of districts to nine, and the fixing of boundaries, had been left to a Council of Kdneation. The matter was therefore out of his hands. He was not concerned with local jealousies, but with the general educational ellieiency of the Dominion. He was sure that whatever changes were made would be for the betterment of education generally. The Council of Education would meet on November Hi to discuss the question of boundaries. The Minister said he was opposed to the suggestion that another Commission should be appointed to deal with the matter, and it was recognised that tlie. Council of Education was the most suitable body to handle this difficult task, in the best interests of education. Referring to the disestablishment of the. District High School, the Minister said the matter would have to stand aver until the question of boundaries was decided. The whole question of schools, as at present constituted, was one which would have to be reviewed. He desired to see education made mora practical and more serviceable. Boys had to be givon trained brains, and made trained thinkers. Too much attention could not be paid to technical education. The country should have a system of education which would ensYire that every worker in New Zealand was highly skilled. Such a system of education would tend to greater national ellieiency.

The wish of*Noi'tli Tnranakl that the Minister of Education should pay a visit to New Plymouth was mentioned to Mr. Hanan, and the Minister said that in view of the strong desire that he should pay a visit to New .Plymouth lie proposed to do so next week. He wmild reach New Plymouth by express on Wednesday night, but how lonjr he would ct'iy lm could not say