EDUCATION BOARDS' CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1919, Page 3

EDUCATION BOARDS' CONFERENCE.

SESSION CONCLUDED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Sept. 2G. Delegates from the Education Boards had a conference to-day with the Ministers of Education and Finance and members of Parliament, and laid before them various decisions of the conference and also offered suggestions a 9 to the future policy of the department. , Mr F. Pirani said there was an agreement between the Teachers' Institute, Education Boards and school committees that an administrative Council of Education was wanted. The manner in which the Council was to be appointed was a matter of detail, so long as the Education Department, as part of the Civil Service, was abolished. With regard to bringing down new legislation, Mr Pirani voiced the opinion of the conference that Education Boards should be consulted before questions went to Parliament, and urged the necessity of prjviding accommodation for girls from the country to attend the Training College. Referring to administration generally, Mr Pirani said education was a matter of national importance and should be entirely above politics. In that respect the voluntary workers on Education Boards were entirely free from the official spirit which handicapped the department.

Many other points were brought up before thie Minister and members of the House by the deputation. Sir Francis Bell, replying to statements made of the inadequacy of the salaries of the officers of She depart ment, said he did not deny that the salaries should be increased. There were many first-rate men in the department, so that the argument that the right men were not attracted fell short The Goveri, ,ont could not offer salaries equal to those offered by private concerns willing to pay for quite exceptional men. It was essential there should be a scheme of graduation throughout the Public Service.

Sir James Allen (Minister of Finance), l eferring to the greater salaries paid by business concerns" than could be paid by the Government, made a point that a private business did not hold out to the same degree that sense of security to workers in the later years of their lives which the Government offered by the superannuation scheme.

Delegates expressed their thanks to the Ministers and members for giving them an opportunity to express their views on important educational matters. The Judication Boards' Conference concluded to-day. A series of remits passed by the recent, conference of lircetors at technical schools were affirmed. The delegates decided to rocott - mend that the Education Department .'x, asked to confer with the secretaries <d' Education Boards wjien administrative changes of important nature were contemplated. ,! Mr Pir&ni mentioned that the Minister of Education had said in the co ,rse of some conversation that Educator Boards had no right to make grants to. school committees out of their rrcnenl funds, and further, that, boards" vhijli do provide such funds to committees gave him an argument- for the reduction of grants to those boards wh'rii, though they were under the impression they were treating committees liberally were actually misusing their funds.