Tuesday, April 4, 1967

Walter R. Shaw: No Campbell’s among them?

l.. George Dewar: I was speaking about consolidation of schools and I feel that the Minister should take a more effective action in respect to this matter. There are a great many areas that need the benefit of better schools. I wonder if the Leader of the Government is convinced that consolidation is a good thing? He spoke in this House last year and he cast doubts upon the program, and I am wondering if he has been converted from the error of his ways in that respect. We trust that he has, and that the Minister will continue to work on him for the revenue and the Estimates to go ahead with this program of providing better schools. I must give the people of Kings County credit in this matter; they went ahead, they were smart people down there, they saw the benfit of it. A great many of them are receiving the benefit of these fine new schools that the Minister mentioned the other night that he opened in Cardigan and Dundas, and Rollo Bay, and Souris, and St. Peters.

I don’t lmow whether they have one in Morell or not but I believe they are working on one there.

Honourable Gordon L. Bennett: How did you let Kings County get ahead of Prince in consolidation?

L. George Dewar: Well, that is a strange thing too why they did. But I think they were more determined down there to get the benefits of this program, and I think the Minister has a little evangelism to do in parts of Queens County and Prince County yet, although the ice has been well broken, and I think the areas are more prepared for it. If you talked about it five or six years ago you would not get very far but today there is a great swing towards asking for this facility. I understand the Minister has been asked for improvement in this respect and that he has not been as willing to go along with the progress in this direction as perhaps he should be.

Honourable Robert E. Campbell: Are you in favour of consolidation in West Prince?

L. George Dewar: I am in favour of better schools in any area of the province. Hoourable Robert E. Campbell: Consolidation?

L. George Dewar: Cosolidation or whatever is necessary to improve the facilities for the students in our elementary school system.

Honourable Gordon L. Bennett: What type of evangelism did you use in Prince County so that I can perhaps use something different and get on with consolidation.

L. George Dewar: Oh I don't think you will need too much now. I think all it needs is a little bit of leadership, some assistance from the Government and it will go forward without any trouble. But it is going to require leadership, going to require direction and organization and I think the Minister need not worry about the program; it depends on him.

I understand that he has appointed a Director of Guidance, and I take great exception to a statement he made in his adress when he said there was nothing done, that nothing was done about this matter by the former administration. Now that is certainly not according to the facts. For sometime the former Government recognized the need of a Director of Guidance, and I spoke on it here in the Legislature last year at some length. I mentioned the fact that we had a delegation in to meet the Executive Council composed of representatives of a great many organizations in this province and they had requested that we have a Director of Guidance. It was taken up with the likecutive Council and it was taken up with the Treasury Board and an item was passed in the Estimates by this Legislature to pay a Director of Guidance in the province. Even the very worthy and capable gentleman that was appointed was considered and interviewed by the former Government with respect to the appointment, but at that time he could not be released by the Department that was already employing him. Now I give the Minister credit; he arranged things so that he was released and I know he has a very capable gentleman in that Department. (Hear, Hear).

I am pleased to see that he is proceeding with the Centennial Scholarships, I am sure that this will be a benefit to many of our students. I should mention the matter of vocational education and I have some reservations about the adequacy of the policies

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