RESTRICTED TRAIN SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1919, Page 7

RESTRICTED TRAIN SERVICE.

EDUCATION BOARD'S PROTEST. The refusal of the Education Departjnent to make a grant for the conveyance? of children by motor to the New Plymouth Technical College and other secondary schools under the board's control during the curtailed railway service came in for some strong comment a,t the hands of the members of the Tarauaki Education Board yesterday. Mr. Buchanan said lie thought the matter warranted the strongest protest going forward from the board, as the question effected the future of all the children. It was likely that, as it followed upon the break of last year, it would mean that many of the children would not continue their secondary education .It also badly effected the country children and the teachers, inasmuch as when the normal train services were resumed the country children would be 1 so much behind those of the town who were not affected by the curtailment. He, therefore, moved: That this board expresses its disapointment at the attitude of the Department in declining to accede to the reasonable request for payment of cost of conveyance of country children ,to New Plymouth Technical College and secondary schools under the board's Jurisdiction, and strongly urges reconsideration of such decision. The board desires to point out that, by loss of time due to the epidemic, now followed by restricted train services, country pupils. have been placed at a distinct disadvantage in comparison with local children, and that the education I will be retarded by reason of teachers having la.ter to devote considerable time to bringing the country pupils to the same standard as those of the town. Further, that the training in manual and technical education is at a critical period, and thai any continuous break in school hours will have the effect of a declining attendance, as parents state that in all probability the children will be withdrawn from the college, and, under the circumstances, the board Btrongly urges on the Department .the absolute necessity of making the provision asked for in the interests of technical education for j countt'y pupils. The motion was seconded by Mr. White, who urged that the question of the children's education should be placed before other considerations,

Mr. Smith urged th&t the m,atter merited a strong protest by the board. He said the ('.apartment should not regard the cost of the thing as a sufficient reason for so seriously interfering with

the education of ,the children. He referred to what the Minister of Education had said about the importance of education, and then said that when a position like the present arose his fine feelings about education were put on one side, and he urged the cost was too great. Mr. Smith blamed the Government for not having made their coal reserves sufficiently secure to enable them to maintain essential railway services.

Mr; Masters joined in the chorus of protest. He instanced, first, the seeming unconcern with which the Department dealt with the matter. The board's first telegram asking for a grant for the conveyance of children to the secondary schools was despatched on July 0, and an immediate reply was asked for. The reply; which was a refusal of the grant, did not come to hand until the 16th inst., and then only after a further telegram of inquiry had. been sent to the Minister himself. Mr. Masters continued that the position was that, by reason of their inability to get into school, some children would probably be unable to pass examinations this year and that next year they might be over the age limit for .the Borne examinations. The Department evidently did not realise that. The position was entirely against the children of the country districts. In regard to the cost of bringing the children in by motor, he was sure that by the offers made to the board the motorists would be losing money on the trips. The whole fault was with the Government, and they ought to pay. He did not think the question of expense should be put against .the education of the children.' The motion was carried unanimously.