A COMMITTEE'S DILEMMA

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 127, 25 November 1929, Page 8

A COMMITTEE'S DILEMMA

(To the Editor.)

, Sir,—-Recently a correspondent wrote t<i Ihe Post" with reference to the danger of children crossing the road opposite jNewtown School. I can assure the writer that both committee and teachers take every precaution to impress upon the children the correct method of crossing tha road, and on days when traffic is particularly heavy -the younger children are personally conducted across.

Unfortunately a much more potential danger exists in the school itself. The school was erected over forty years ago, and a new school is urgently required for health reasons. The accumulated dust caused by the attendance of generations of school children lie behind skirting boards and ceilings, and is continuously; filtering down upon the scholars when! marching in and,out of school. The committee has constantly urged the Education Board to erect a new school, but so far has met with no success.

The committee has exercised constant; vigilance over the cleanliness of the school, but is seriously handicapped owing to lack of finance. At one, time the school had an attendance of 900 pupils, and received by way of capitation £27 monthly, but now, through reduced attendance, only; £20 is received to meet the wages of a caretaker, to provide fuel throughout the winter and for school stationery and to execute miscellaneous repairs. Over the past year, without the aid of an energetic parents' and old scholars' association, the. committee would have been unable to carry' on. Owing to the latest reduction brought about through a change of method in computing capitation, the committee is virtually bankrupt and faced with the necessity of cutting out a certain portion of expenditure to keep within its income. Which is it to be: Is the cleaning to "be done less thoroughly or the coal bill cut down, or are we to decline to provide stationery? So serious is the position that the committee has decided to call a public meeting at the school on Wednesday night in order that the actual position may be placed before the householders. As the Government has declined to help the various school committees, parents are strongly urged to co-operate in order" that an adequate allowance may be obtained to enable the committees to function properly.—l am, etc., COMMITTEEMAN".