EDUCATIONAL REFORMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1918, Page 5

EDUCATIONAL REFORMS.

ADDRESS BY THE MINISTER Dunedin, August 2J. At a meeting of the Education Board to-day the Hon. J. A. Hanan (Minister of Education) delivered an address on what his examination of educational administration had disclosed, and some of the reforms he deemed essential. He thought the system regarding the maintenance of school buildings had inherent weaknesses. In some cases if buildings had been attended to at tho right time a saving of thousands of pounds would have been made. In one district the condition of the buildings gave him the greatest concern, while the account had been so depleted that the board had no money to provide for the repairs necessary. Although the boards received money for maintaining schoolmasters' residences, many had been allowed to get into disrepair. Some provision seemed to be necessary to ensure tho money appropriated being used. He had made alterations on a better footing and to enable the Department to supervise expenditure. He had no wish to centralise things, but the question arose whether by a modification of local government control an improvement in administration could be effected. He was being urged to bring about educational reforms, and two of the iirst importance put before him were the reduction in the size of classes, and continuation classes through adolescence, but to carry out these reforms there must be teachers, and while reform was asked for the boards were letting the teachers go. It was an absurd proposition. He had been asked to appeal for teachers as the Minister, but he could not do so. His views had been ignored by the boards, and essential reforms could not be carried out because they had not a supply of teachers. In conclusion the Minister said he wanted to see industrial education prosecuted vigorously.