Credits Reported For 200 Schools

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30364, 13 February 1964, Page 15

Credits Reported For 200 Schools

The Canterbury School Committees’ Association was thwarted, for the present at any rate, by its own figures when perennial complaints of inadequate finance were aired for the first time this vear.

Annual returns showed that although 100 committees in the Canterbury Education Board’s area had debits amounting to between £3500 and £4OOO, 200 others had credits amounting to £9OOO.

There was apparently no finance pattern at all in the type and location of schools, said the secretary (Mr R. W. Taylor). Credits and debits occurred indiscriminately over city and country schools, large and small, primary and intermediate.

Complaints of inadequate finance occurred frequently at a meeting last evening under almost every agenda heading. Ham wrote that the cleaning and incidentals grant was inadequate, Opawa said there was hot enough money for heating, and delegates from the floor mentioned many other deficiencies.

The heating debate was short-lived because the Canterbury Education Board advised that late this month or soon after a meeting would be called of more than 100 primary, intermediate, and

post-primary school caretakers from throughout greater Christchurch so that a Mines Department fuel engineer could explain the efficient operation of boilers. The board had been concerned about growing fuel bills and sought expert advice. Mines Department engineers made a quick sampling and found schools had some of the most inefficient heating methods they had ever seen.

Caretakers will therefore be advised on the most economical fuels and the best methods of operating boilers. Suppliers of at least two boilers in common use will also attend to explain their best operation. One delegate said his school had made spectacular economies by having the heating system properly lagged.

The School Committees’ Association was so impressed with promises of savings that it will ask the Mines Department also to advise a separate meeting of delegates.

When the excess of credits over debits in school accounts was reported, most delegates seemed nonplussed. They had been told that the Education Board could not substantiate a claim for increased grants in the face of these figures. “Credits Sheer Folly”

Mrs M. Rae said member committees should be informed of the “sheer folly” of having large credits. This suggestion did not imply that the association advocated spendthrift habits, said Mr R. K. Milne.

Education Department grants, made through education boards according to a school’s roll, were provided to be spent on the children, Mr Milne said. They had been gained after long efforts.

These annual grants to committees’ No. 1 accounts were for maintenance, fuel, lighting, and certain equipment. They should be spent each year for the benefit of children then attending and not husbanded unduly for future years.

‘‘Credits are really no credit to committees,’’ said Mr Milne. “Some may not be doing their jobs.”

On the motion of Mrs M. Metcalf, the association agreed to inform committees of this about November each year.