INCREASED GRANTS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 103, 5 May 1925, Page 7

INCREASED GRANTS

FOR SCHOOL EXPENDITURE

HOUSEHOLDERS" STRONG

ADVOCACY

Support was given at practically all of the householders' meetings held last night to the resolutions of the School Committees' Association, advocating increased annual expenditure on school buildings, and larger capitation payments to the lesser schools.

At the Kilbirnie School householders' meeting, Mi 1. A. G. Wallace urged the importance of getting a larger capitation, for the sake of cleanliness in the school.

The resolutions were endorsed by Mr Jorgensen and other speakers.

The important aspect of the cost of sites was emphasised by Mr. J. J. Clark, a member of the Wellington Education Board, who said that the board had" spent over £12,000 on a site for one school, while two other sites were costing £6000 apiece. The fault lay in the shortsightedness of Governments and other authorities in the past. Schools had been built on cramped sites, quite inadequate for modern needs. The Department was following a correct policy, he thought, in acquiring sites first of all.

It was decided to add to the resolution concerning expenditure on school buildings the words "and sites." The motion was then adopted unanimously. The second resolution was also warmly supported, and carried unanimously.

The meeting at Island Bay adopted the association resolutions, after deleting the sum suggested for annual expenditure.

Accommodation is a prevailing question at Island Bay School at present.

The chairman of the committee (Mr. Flanagan) stated last night that the shortage of accommodation had been relieved somewhat by using the science room for classes, but more required to be done. The corridor of the main school was flooded now owing to a leaking roof. The headmaster said that the roll now was about the same as at the close of last year, but from now on infants would be coming in, and he anticipated that at the end of the year two new classrooms would be necessary. In reply to a question, the headmaster said that the fact that the school was so full now made it difficult to classify children properly. They could not be promoted unless there was room in the higher classes. The meeting, after considerable discussion, asked the committee to consider this question of accommodation, and especially its effect on classification.

The meeting of householders of The Terrace School district decided to take no action in regard to the building grant. The second resolution was agreed to, provided that it is made t<> apply to all schools.

The School Committees' Association resolutions were approved as they stood at the meetings at Northland and Berhampore (capitation. only), Wadestown, Clyde quay, Newtown, Seatoun, Te Aro, Brooklyn, Roseneafch, and others.