CANTERBURY SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18303, 10 February 1925, Page 6

CANTERBURY SCHOOLS.

MINISTER MEETS BOARD. Yesterday morning Sir James Parr, Minister of Education, met the chairman and members of the Canterbury Education Board, and discussed with them various matters affecting Canterbury schools. The chairman, Mr H. J. Bignell, welcomed the Mirrstcr, and congratulated him on the honour he had received. That the Minister had put in a considerable amount of arduous work in the wiuse of education was fully recognised throughout the Dominion. Mr W. A. Banks also congratulated the Minister, and stated that New Zealand was the best educated country in the world, and Sir James had had a great deal to do with it. (Applause.) In reply. Sir James thanked the Board for its welcome and congratulations, and stated that the conferment <ii such a high honour showed that the gi eat causo of public education was well in view, and it could be takeu as a recognition of the great importance of the folio and the work of education generally. The expenditure on education in New Zealand, all told, in 1914, was £1,400,000, he said. During the year just passed it was three and a half millions —an immense increase. New Zealand expended more per head of population than most countries. Thp secretary's figures showed £'J 10s £>d per head for last year; and in Australia, taking an average over all the States for the same period, the expenditure was £1 10s KM per head; New South Wales £1 14s 9d, and Victoria £l. 5s !)d. For the same period in Engthe Government on education. Many of the States in .Canada spent huge sums on palatial buildings and in some oases the- expense per head reached £lO. In Toronto one building cost £300,000; the Montreal Technical School cost half a million. "We can't approach expenditure on that scale," said Sir James, "but during the last few years the Department has improved the buildings immensely. Old buildings are being gradually replaced by modern structures. The new schools here compare favourably with anything abroad, which is very gratifying."

Expenditure Tagged. The chairman stated-that the following expenditure had been disallowed the Board by the Auditor-General: —Grant for Entertainment of Chatham Islands Children, £5 ss; Levy to Education Boards' Association, £7 10s; subscriptions to Building Trades' Association, £2- 2s; . subscriptions to "W.8.A., £o; subscriptions to Boys' Gordon Hall, £10; subscriptions to Manual and Technical Association, £1 Is; subscriptions to St. John Ambulance Association, |£lo 10s; subscriptions to Canterbury Progress League, £lO 10s; total, £sl 18s. Mr E. H. Andrews said the work at tho Boys' Gordon Hall was most important, and very necessary. Tho authorities there. explained to children and their narents what career or course they sftould follow in' life. The Minister: You are' granted £SO to do what you like with; any headmaster cin give children advice on what course, to Mr Andrews: If you say. it's unnecessary, Sir, then' we say it's a 'very valuable work. ' The" Minister: •' 'lf ytfu think it's so valuable, then you can pay for' it,'out of your £56.-: You can't'use an education. grant for such a purpose." • He continued that the Board was 'fbrtuna't© indeed in being granted'£so liilauthoriscd expenses. "Until font year's ago Board's had nothing of that sort. '' It should be quite sufficient to meet small' requirements. "It's my job to "see that? expendjturo is made in accordance with the Act, you havo overstepped: it,, and I decline to go to the Auditor-General. It may be annoying to be tagged,, but. none of those items enumerated, come within the legal province of education. The Audito'r-General ! has bhly done his duty. The Boys' Gordon Hall may be 'doing* very'good'work', b'lit under th'e' Apprentices' Act., head teachers are now charged with that duty." ' ' ' . Grant for Workshops. : The chairman said that workshops had been established in three different centres.; A grant of £IOOO had been made, but the expenditure had greatly increased. He asked for a further grant, stating that otherwise-the maintenance work would get very much behind. "Wo are not allowed to carry an overdraft," he said, "and you stated some time ago that, you were prepared to assist the workshops." The Minister agreed that good work was being done and expressed a desire to help the Board. Additions to Hari Hari. The chairman said that, the school at Hari-Hari, near Holdtika, was 15 years' old. " The Minister: And you want a-new school ? , The Chairnmn: The school was built of totara, locally hand-sawn. The sap was in the wood and the building is done for. Additions were urgently required. The Board was of the opinion that a new site should bo secured and a hew building erected. The Minister said he would rriew the place or send an officer to look over it. Ashburton East. The chairman said the Board desired a detached building of two rooms at Asih'buyton iEf#st. Tho Department • proposed adding to the present building and £ISOO had been granted. The Minister promised to look into the matter.

West Christ-church. ' The chairman said that a grant for J another wing at the West Christ-church School was required. Sir .T;uncs agreed that the proposi-' tion was a big one, and one that must be faced some'time this year. Kumara School. It was stated that, the school at Kumara required rebuilding, and the Minister promised to give the matter his attention. Southbridge-Leeston D.H.S. The ■ chairman explained llu'.t tho district high school at South bridge had been burned down arid classes were now being conducted in a hull. It wan i proposed to transfer the High School to Lees ton, which was the natural centre of t.he district. - Sir James Parr replied that lie was plojised to have an explanation of the Board's attitude. "i could be vc-rv well quitted of this/' he said jocularly, "but I must igo out thoro this afternoon." Mr Andrews: It will an interesting afternoon, Sir James. The Minister: I wish you had it. Boards Too Slow. Sir James Parr mentioned the Oxford district, stating that he was sorry to sea that the Board had not madft a start with the consolidated school there. Time had been the essence of the contract, and the grant was made in October last. , , The chairman replied that the building had been started and the work was going ahead well. The Minister slid that some of the Boards allowed too much time to . elapse between getting the grant and

starting' the work. •_ H© hpped they would use 1 all' expedition witli tlie Oxford. School. Mr Bignell promise!] that all, speed ■would-be used. At the conclusion of the meeting Sir James Parr expressed his' appreciation of . the Board's-work. ■ > ■ - .