THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1927. WAYS THAT ARE STRANGE.

Wairarapa Age, 26 February 1927, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1927. WAYS THAT ARE STRANGE.

Departmental methods that badly need going over and amending were brought to light in correspondence between the Wairarapa Secondary Education Board and the Education Department which was laid before the board at its meeting on Thursday evening. The full facts were published in our news columns yesterday. Though the Minister of Education had promised two additional rooms at the High School, the Department prepared pions, and, without consulting the local board, called tenders for the construction of o-ne new class-room and the extension of a cloak room to make another room. The board only learned of what had been done when a small advertisement appeared in the local papers. This performance could hardly have been bettered if the chiefs of the Department had given serious thought to the problem of doing everything possible to belittle and stultify the local educational authority. The submission to the board of plans of proposed additions to any school under its charge would be nothing more than an act of elementary courtesy. •In the present case, an additional reason for adopting this course might have been found in the fact that in Masterton (State funds made available for educational purposes have been supplemented very liberally by funds provided locally, notably by the Trust Lands Trust. The interests of education obviously demand that the Department should take every opportunity of encouraging local initiative and effort. In the matter of additional accommodation at the High School, the Department has pursued such a policy as might suggest that it desired to suppress and exclude local initiative.

Inquiry may show that in this matter the Minister of Education (Mr Wright) has been as much the victim of departmental ways as the local board itself. In any case, Air. Wright is well able to appreciate the advantages of seeking the closest possible cooperation -wjth local educational authorities, particularly in a centre like Masterton, whose people have given positive and convincing evidence of an alert and practical interest in education. There is evidently nothing to be gained or accomplished from any point of view under the holo and corner methods the Department has adopted in dealing with the question of additional accommodation at the High School. From the point of view of economy, as well as o»n other grounds, a policy of ignoring and stultifying the local educational authority can only be regarded as extremely foolish. The Minister will do the right thing if he insists that this policy must forthwith be reversed.