8
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1976
CALL FOR TRUST TOWARDS PRIVATE SCHOOLS
WHICH WILL PLAY MAJOR ROLE IN SECONDARY EDUCATION
*****
THE HON. MRS. JOYCE SYMONS TODAY APPEALED FOR TRUST AND RESPECT TOWARDS THOSE PRIVATE SCHOOLS WHICH WILL, IN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS, PLAY A MAJOR PART IN THE GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAMME OF EXPANDING SECONDARY EDUCATION.
SPEAKING IN THE RESUMED BUDGET DEBATE SHE HOPED THAT THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION WOULD HAVE +BRAVE AND NEW IDEAS+ FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE STRONG LINKS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS TO SUCH PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
FURTHERMORE, SHE STRESSED THAT IT MUST BE THE GOVERNMENT'S SUPREME DUTY +TO FOSTER THE FLEXIBILITY OF SCHOOLS, TO ENCOURAGE THE OLDER SCHOOLS TO HELP THE NEW, RESPECTING THE INDIVIDUALITY AND INTEGRITY OF EACH SCHOOL.
MRS. SYMONS COMPLIMENTED THE GOVERNMENT ON ITS INTENTION TO PROVIDE 18,741 MORE SECONDARY PLACES THIS COMING ACADEMIC YEAR, AND SHE SUSPECTED THAT THE MAIN THRUST OF EXPANSION WOULD BE THROUGH BOUGHT PLACES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS.
WELCOMING THE HINT BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THAT THE DIRECTOR OF AUDIT WOULD PAY GREATER ATTENTION TO THE VAST SUMS OF MONEY SPENT BY SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS, SHE SAID ACCOUNTABILITY COULD NOT BE EQUATED WITH THE MERE SUBMISSION OF AUDITED ACCOUNTS.
+SUBVENTED BODIES MUST, AND IN THE MAIN, DO USE GOVERNMENT MONEY AS CAREFULLY AS THEIR OWN IF ANYTHING TWICE AS CAREFULLY. NO ONE SHOULD TAKE UMBRAGE AT THIS.
+ IT FOLLOWS THEREFORE THAT THOSE RECEIVING A NEW FORM OF SUBSIDY AS IN THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS THROUGH THE BUYING OF PLACES OR PER CAPITA GRANTS MUST BE IN THE AUDIT NET, TOO.+
JUST AS THERE WAS ACCOUNTABILITY OF MONEY, MRS. SYMONS SAID, SO THERE WAS THE MORE IMPORTANT ACCOUNTABILITY OF MUTUAL TRUST AND RESPECT.
FOR A VERY LONG TIME, SHE WENT ON. THE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE AIDED SCHOOLS HAD ENABLED BOTH, IN HARNESS, TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND SERVED IT WELL WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF FINANCE.
+NOW IN CO-OPERATION THERE WILL BE A TROIKA THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN RECEIPT OF GOVERNMENT AID THROUGH THE BUYING OF PLACES OR SPECIAL GRANT.
SHE HOPED THAT THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION WOULD HAVE +BRAVE AND NEW IDEAS FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE STRONG LINKS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS TO EXTEND TO SUCH PRIVATE SCHOOLS AS MAY BE PLEASED TO CO-OPERATE.
+SUCH SHARING OF EXPERTISE AT ADMINISTRATION, STAFF AND STUDENT LEVEL SHOULD DO NO HARM AND COULD DO SOME GOOD, SHE ADDED.
/ON THE SUBJECT