ON ITS DIGNITY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 287, 28 August 1908, Page 8

ON ITS DIGNITY.

THE EDUCATION BOARD AND THE ' MINISTER. 1 The annual report of the Minister for Education, presented to Parliament the otlior evening, contained a paragraph which met with small favour at the hands of the members of the Education Board when they met yesterday. Tho paragraph in question runs: "For many years tho education boards have been receiving largo grants of monoy for the maintenance of school buildings; for the last four years these grants havo been specially earmarked for repairs and for the ro-building of worn-out schools. Presumably, about half the amount of the grants lia.s been used for repairs, and a few schools have been re-built; but the unspent balanco of the grants, according to the accounts of the boards, should show nearly £70,000 now available to meet tho cost of re-building a large number of schools which must, in tho interests of health and efficiency, bo soon replaced. Owing to neglect of the conditions on which tho grants wero given, or to other causes not easily tracod, about £62,000. of this ' reserve fund has disappeared, leaving only £7000 in hand to meet an imminent necessary expenditure of ten times that amount. The position is ono that calls for serious consideration." Mr. Vile opened the ball by announcing tho fact that lie had been considerably surprised, and not a little annoyed, to notice, in tho published excerpts from tho Minister's annual report, a paragraph which, in effect, reflected very seriously upon tho administration of tho education boards of tho Dominion. Ho wished tho board to move in tho matter. The chairman (Mr. Leo) romarked that tho Minister had overlooked tho board's heavy expenditures in tho matter of sites and buildings. As several members had not sufficiently studied the Minister's report, it was agreed to defer discussion for a futuro meeting, and Mr. Vile accordingly gave notico of motion to that cffccb.