School Hostel Costs

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 69, 14 December 1933, Page 11

School Hostel Costs

Sir, —Many people are much impressed by statistics, and it is quite true that some people can prove almost anything to some other people by statistics. The Hon. G. W. Carrington recently secured a Parliamentary return showing the capital cost of school hostels and the numbers of pupils at present resident therein. From these figures some people _ have deduced what they call the per capita cost to the State. Of course no such information can be got from the information supplied. As an example let us consider the boarding establishment attached to this school. It cost about £15,000, and last year accommodated 36 boys. Well, what of it? The place has been in use for 10 years and during that time has housed 317 different boys. Now,, what is the per capita cost? By the time another 10 years have passed the same building wiii probablv have accommodated 1000 boys. What then will be the per capita cost? And as the building is of brick anil should have a life of 40 years, what will be the per capita cost at the end of that time? If some of the older and larger schools be taken, for example. Nelson College, it will be found that thousands of boys have been accommodated in the course of 20 or 30 years.—l am, etc., L. J. WILD. Agricultural High School, Feilding. December 11, 1933.