VICTORIAN SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 65, 18 March 1925, Page 5

VICTORIAN SCHOOL CHILDREN.

THEIR WONDERFUL WAR WORK. RAISE £G,000,000 FOR SOLDIERS. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") DUXEDIX, this day. Mr. Frank Tate, Director of Education for Victoria, is not one who believes that the centralisation of education control results in the death of local interest and pride in scholastic institutions. When in conversation with an ""Evening Star" representative lie touched some instances of the deep interest e\ ied by parents and pupils in their school*. He mentioned that a "school day"' is a big event in the country districts, and the settlers come from miles around to attend a gathering. Mr. Tate is especially proud of the answer given by the school to an appeal for '"patriotic funds"' during the war. Xo less than £6.000.000 was raised in the schools in money and kind. Thie was handled by a committee that allocated the money to the various relief organisations. The unexpended balance of £83.000 has been vested in a trust for the benefit of Victorian soldiers who suffered serious physical disability, and last year £30.000 was spent in the provision of cottages for badly injured men. A certain amount is set apart to keep the cottages in repair, which, let at a nominal rental, will eventually become the property of the soldiers or their heirs. The trust also has a sum out at interest which in about ten years' time will amount to £03.000, and this will be available for the relief of men who are now able to get along with their wages and pensions, but whose physical disabilities will grow greater as time goe3 on. The sum of £20.000 was . voted from the school fund for the erection of a school at Villers Brettoneux. where 1200 Australian soldiers lost their lives in recapturing a key position. Mr. Tate was present at the ceremony of laying the foundation stone a year ago. The building is now finished, and a grateful municipality has rechristened the street in which it stands Rue Victoria, and tlie square surrounding the place Melbourne.