CLEANING THE SCHOOLS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 112, 14 May 1930, Page 7

CLEANING THE SCHOOLS

SUPPORT FOB COMMITTEES

Support for school committees in their efforts to have the/capitation allowance increased was given by the conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute yesterday afternoon. Mr.' J. K. Edio (Wellington) moved: "That the capitation to school committees does not make it possible to keep the schools, hygienically clean." Ho said he almost felt that the teachers should refuse to teach, in many of the buildings as they were at s present. There,was a marked difference between the capitation received by a primary school and that received by a secondary school. .'-.■■'-,

The remit was seconded by Miss I. Little (Wellington), who referred to the insanitary condition of many of the rooms in which children were taught. Cleanliness was " primary necessity, and the only way it could be secured was by increased capitation.

Mr.' E. N. Wilson (Wellington) moved an addition to the effect that the ( conference supported the efforts which were being made by the school committees.

Mr. J. H. M. Finlayson (Wellington)' supported the amendment, and said the teachers should do everything possible to second the fine work which the committees were doing. Mr. A. Beasley (Auckland) said the teachers were compelled' to work under deplorable conditions. He did not understand how it was that it cost about eight times as much to keep a secondary school clean as it did to keep a primary school clean. The allowances to committees did not enable them to pay anything more to caretakers than a mere pittance. The health of the children was- suffering. The remit as amended was agreed