SCHOOL COMMITTEES’ CAPITATION

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 53, 26 November 1929, Page 13

SCHOOL COMMITTEES’ CAPITATION

Sir,— May I, through your paper, put in a protest at the action of the Government in refusing to increase the miserable pittance that is doled out to school committees to pay for the cleaning of schools, purchase of fuel, and to cover a part of incidental expenses. The facts were placed before the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education by a recent deputation. After a courteous reception and a patient hearing the Prime Minister said he was surprised to hear that school committees were in many cases compelled to go begging money from parents to pay ■ for school cleaning and to buy fuel in winter. He would do all possible for the committees, but his difficulty was in providing money for the country’s needs. He was going over the Estimates, not for the purpose of increasing them but for cutting them down. In this ease, however, he saw the need for an additional grant and would do all he could in the Supplementary Estir mates. After weeks of patient waiting the Supplementary Estimates were publisted, and we were sadly' disappointed to find that not one penny was granted for school committees. Inquiring of the Minister of Education, we were informed that .the reason was “simply that the Government didn't have the money. They would try and do something at the end of the financial year.” It is said you. can’t get blood out of a stone, but you can get money out of a moneyless Government if you do not want it for primary school children. Private members of Parliament got quite a decent Christmas present out of the empty box. and when Scots College came on the market the Education Department promptly produced £38.000 to pay for something they do not really need, and that certainly was dot on any Estimates. They have no trouble in providing 50/- per head for secondary schools’ incidental expenses. They can find any sum required for additions to agricultural colleges, but they will not find the money required to replace an infant school that was described years ago by a member of the Education Board as “Not fit to stable cattle in.” There is not one sixpence to add to the miserable 7/- per head that has sufficed the larger primary schools for cleaning and all. incidental expenses. Now, there is a reason for these things.

We people of New Zealand are proud of our secondary schools. Influential people are interested in them, and 50/per head is little enough to spend on them. We simply can’t be proud of our primary schools, so why worry whether they get. seven shillings or sevenpence? The authorities can afford to ignore any agitation for better conditions in primary schools, for they arc well aware of the appalling apathy of the people who send their children there. So once again the school committees will follow the stone they had rolled almost to the summit. to tlie bottom of the hill and (perhaps) try yet again. When are the parents going to help us? —T am. etc., L. HENNESSEY. Chairman Te Aro Schools' Committee and Wellington School Committees’ Association. November 22.