WORK ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21198, 23 June 1934, Page 22

WORK ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

MORE LATITUDE WANTED] ATTITUDE OF EDUCATION BOARD Disapproval of the action of the Unemployment Board in restricting the work of unemployed men on school grounds to developmental work only was expressed by several members of the Canterbury Education Board at a meeting of the board yesterday morning. The board held that certain other work should be allowed, an decided to ask for greater discretionary powers in selecting work. Mr C. S. Thompson said that he did nn+ think anv member of the board was satisfied with the work allowed on school grounds by the been ment Board. Restrictions had been placed on the work that unemployed men could do for school committees, and, in addition, the education board had to pay insurance for men emDloved. He understood other local bodies were not required to pay insurance, and, if that were so, the position was ridiculous. Invaluable work had been done by unemployed men working on school grounds, Mr Thompson continued, and he suggested asking the Minister for Education (the Hoi*. R. Masters) to take steps to have the position altered so that unemployed men would be available for work that otherwise would not be done to school grounds. The improvement already effected to school grounds had increased the upkeep and in many cases Committees could not do the work required on their reduced grants. Mr Thompson refeiyed to a case where a request for labour had been refused unless the board would make the unemployed rates up to standard rates of pay. Mr H. Bignell said that some unemployed men had been employed as caretakers by school committees, and that, and other work that should not have been done, had led to the restriction of the men's activities to developmental work.

That was the position, Mr G.. W. Armitage said. Good work had been done, Mr J. W. Preen said, and the men had been happier working in school gardens than chipping weeds along the roads. Some of the elderly men were unfit for other work, and if they could not be kept on maintenance work they would be out of a job. Members agreed that the board should have discretionary powers in selecting works for the unemployed, and it was decided that a copy of a letter setting out that view, sent to the Unemployment Board on April 13. should be sent to the Minister, with a request for support.