SCHOOL FINANCES.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 281, 26 November 1919, Page 7

SCHOOL FINANCES.

GREATER GRANTS. ' LESS ASSISTANCE. When the Education Board last night came i)o the consideration of the increased allowances granted to school committees for incidental expenses, the secretary gave a rather surprising statement of the present financial position. He said the Associated Boards in conference gave it as their deliberate, considered and unanimous judgment that in order to finance committees their grants should be increased by £23,000 over the amounts paid to 15\em, £67,000, in 1018-19. The Department advised the Minister that £6,000 would meet the case, and that amount was voted in fihe schedule to the bill brought down last session. The Associated Boards then stated the case .to members of Parliament, with the result that another £.5,000 was voted, making £11,000, this being less than half the necessary sum. The Boards, considering the increased grants necessary to permit committees to carry on their work efficiently, consider that committees will be "underfinanced by £12,000. Last year the Auckland Board assisted committees to the extent of £4,000, and as its income for the coming year is diminished by £2.500 it will be quite unable to repeat this assistance in the future* The position appears grave for the school committees. In the -meantime the Board has deferred consideration of the grants until it has had an opportunity of comparing the new grants with the old.