EDUCATION SYSTEM

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1923, Page 13

EDUCATION SYSTEM

MONEYS FOR SCHOOL

BUILDINGS'

INCREASED ALLOCATION URGED

MINISTER'S DEFENCE.

Various education needs were ventilated in the House of Representatives last night, when the : departmental vote of £2,637,380 for "education was under consideration. The .Minister was plied with numerous questions by -members desiring ! further attention to the needs of their (particular districts,., and. several suggestions were tnade 'for" general improvement in the education system. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) urged in- • creased expenditure for improving the condition of school buildings; and point- ,. cd.out that.many of the .public : schools ■were in'a very dilapidated state. The Minister was not being supplied with sufficient money to meet the needs of BChools requiring improvement. The vote of. £156,130 on the Estimates for aew.buildings was altogether inadequate, and he considered, at least £1,000,000 was •;.-■ required to meet the fmrpose. He moved that tba vote be reduced by £4 as an iadicationthat the Government should • jprovide a, larger- sum for the purpose of cchool buildings. ' . SOME COMPARISONS. \i The. Minister of Education (the Hon: ■ C. J. Parr) said that the average an- • nual expenditure.during his term of of- • fica as Minister was-.£428,000 for school ;- buildings. It might be considered: that i not sufficient, but he pointed out .:. that it' represented a 400 per centi. in-1 crease on what was done in 1914. , The •;. amount .expended on school buildings in 1913.was £93,000. A great deal had . ibeen accomplished in the: last three and • a half years, over 700 new buildings and addition*-having been provided. No there had been neglect in past years. He admitted that necessities,had not been met in some cases, but he.sub- . mitted that the Government was now. overhauling, the conseauences of past ne; gleet. If the country, provided half a million: pounds -per year that neglect would' be overcome. He did not think at was wise to double that amount in any one year. ' The. cost of school buildings was 1 exceedingly high,, and if. the market was rushed the financial position would be affected. He was willing to give a very much larger vote, £>ut he was. looking at the matter from the point of view of public finances as a . jrhole. ' .* ■ ;- "■■■•■.• : 'X3O CABEFTJLIiy."_The Prime Minister; (the Bight- Hon. W.\F.'Massey)-uttered a":warnmg in respect to. borrowing,; and pointed out that m;vxew of present.commitments it would ■be .necessary^ "to- "go. very \carefully, so : far as expenditure of publio moneys . .was, concerned. '.'-, ,"•',• •■• * ■ .Mr. A. I/.; (Wellington East) complained that* new schools and additions were badly needed in his constituency, la some cases the children tad been housed in church halls for the tast four years; He could not underItand.tho logic of the statement that by wending less than in former'years the Government was'going to solve the problem- . . v ;. .. .:-.-■ . .... "It a eaiily seen how the Government . taa Tedtwed fts tapenditure upon school buildings, ' eaid Mr. R.:. M'Keeh (Wellington J3outi).; "They: are^aweating ?©P^ wtom ; rthey,employ,-*;-ron''buildMSs , "BJono .war* B*s been reduced' expendi- ; Jura; since, a few years.ago of £300,000 '>' •Una speaker dealt.with the inadequate fccommodatipii .at some of th.c local KoOol(< ':, • ■'■':".•■•■: , ."-..: Mf- S. Poland (OEnemuri) thought - expenditure upon education' was more ■ important, than. lor any other purpose. JThe Government would he well advised id recognise the position and provide ©1,000,000 for the: purpose, of school puildingg. What was such a sum on top ft! the present Public Debt ot £218,000 - 000.?, '.., . '■ ■■•:■■ ••'.•■■*' .. TEACHERS' .RESIDENCES,; ■ Replying to some criticism upon ; expenditure on teachers' residences, the Minister admitted that after the slump ■ he did not have sufficient, money for that purpose. But there was another Bide to. the question: Education boards clamoured for school residences, the Department granted money, and in many cases a single:girl succeeded a married teacher, and the residence was♦then let. There were .140 vacant teachers' residences in the Dominion at the present time. He was glad to! say he was able to do something better for the provision ,of teachers' houses this year. .• ; , ;

Mr. W.J.. Jordan "(Mahukau) said it ;was a wrong thing that of the 410 children committed to orphanages last year, ■155-were' entered on the'crimes register because they were orphans.committed to the care of the State: That was done because poverty even in children was made a crime".. '

Mr. J. Edier(Clutha) urged.the Minister to .see that money 'was provided .equally- asbetween the two islands for the purpose of providing more schools. . Mr: F. N. Bart'ram (Grey Lynn) regretted that the vote for the Child Welfare Department . was reduced. fie ,urged that more attention should be paid to this department by; the Minister.' Mr; , Bartram also regretted that the names of children'committed to the jcare of the State were entered on the rer tords of :the Courts. Something should be done to prevent children' of tender age being employed as bawkers: *.-.' .'Mr. G. M'Kay (Hawkes; Bay) protested against delays being made;in the inspection of school buildings. Mr. H! E. Holland raised the question *>f school equipment, instancing a case in ■which a splendid, high school was provided on the West Coast, and the local • people were required to find the equipr irient for laboratories, etc., He hoped the Department would adopt the policy tif fully furnishing school buildings, obviating the necessity for the residents bf the district to hold- carnivals and raffles for the, purpose. He stressed the need, for more sympathetic treatment, for the smaller centres in the matter of school buildings, pointing out,that in some districts the buildings in-use were little more than cowsheds. LOAN FOR 10- YEARS' NEEDS. Mr. J. Horn (Wakatipu) maintained lhat.a loan should be raised sufficient ■to meet the needs of the country fop the next-ten years.. The Minister would find much relief by providing for necessary development, in a lump sum.The Minister said the policy of the Department was to furnish high schools, but soae delay had occurred in the case complained -ql; -by. Mr. Holland- .- He ■ would like to see. a .Children's Court established to deal" with . cases of delinquent children. Such cases had to appear before a Magistrate, in. order that the' necessary particulars might be obtained.'"Of course, there was the objection that the names had ;to appear in some book. Last year.he. had been- de-sirous-.to bVing in a Bill to deal with the subject. . . '.' .•■,;' . ■'. •

• "Mr:-;Fraser : "When may -be. expect theißUl?";■_, . • ; .-.- , ..'■•'-.. The Minister: "When : .the financial positioip:-improves, I hope.". •'.-'.•

.". After further discussion Mr. Sullivan's arnendmeht was defeated on a division, at l&15-.a.m.,--by 43 votes to 29. Another Labour ■ amendment, moved Jby Mr. H\ E. Holland, that the votesbe Reduced by. £3, as an indication that, the

income tax reduction should nqt become operative until wages have been restored to the pre-war standard, was defeated by 44 votes to 27.

Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) then divided, the House on a motion that a reduction of £2 be made in the total vote, as _an indication that the capitation on incidental expenses' of school committees should be increased. ; ..- The. amendment was lost, by 39 votes to 32. The "Departmental Estimates were thereupon passed. „.