EDUCATIONAL MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1918, Page 5

EDUCATIONAL MATTERS.

DISCUSSED BY THE HON. J. HANANV By Telegraph.— Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. I Speaking at the opening of additions to Karori School this afternoon, the Minister for Education said demands were being made for new schools, and blame was being attached to the Education Department for not providing the money to enable old and out-of-date buildings to be replaced. The duty of replacing wornout schools was not an obligation on the Department, as the Department since 1903 provided an annual vote for that, based on the number of years allowed for the life of, a wodden building and the percentage capital value, and boards have substantial balances in hand for replacements. It had been pointed out to him that certain schools had been allowed to fall into disrepair. The Education Department paid an annual grant to boards for maintenance. He wanted to make these facts clear, in order that people might understand the position of the Department, Dealing with the vexed question of school books, the Minister said parents of children attending secondary schools had the most reason for complaint. ' lie thought too much freedom in the matter of selection of books had been allowed by tli" controlling authorities. He had no control over the selection. If he had, he would certainly deal with what he regarded as an abuse. He had a certain amount of control over the books for the primary schools, because he had to approve the list from which books might be adopted by boards, with the approval of inspectors. Regarding the payment of teachers, the scale of salaries for primary school teachers was fixed by statute, but he had little control over the salaries of secondary school teachers. All he could do was to see that these teachers were paid certain minimum salaries, but the fixing of maximum was left entirely to the highschool authorities. He had, through the Government and Parliament, to make provision for large sums for education and he thought it desirable that the Education Department, through the Minister should have some power to exercise more' supervision over the expenditure in the interests of taxpayers. It was not correct that the education vote had been cut down. Last year's estimates showed a substantial increase on the previous year.