THE EDUCATION VOTE.

Evening Star, Issue 4896, 9 November 1878, Page 2

THE EDUCATION VOTE.

The following circular has been received by the Canterbury Education Board :

"Wellington, November 5. In reply to your letter of the 21nfc ult., enclos ing a resolution of your Board respecting the distribution of the grant of 10s per attendance to school committees, I am directed by the Minister of Education to say that he is unatle to see the neca&sity of a dtparture, without further trial, from the existing Urder-in-Council in this matter. I may mention that the rule admits of very considerable discretionary power on the part of Boards. The fixing of the scale is wholly left to each, and this scale may be to a very large extent graduated and adjusted to meet the circumstances and the wants of the various classes of schools. So long as attcndfcMe forms a leading element in the sob erne of apportionment, and payments a*e made according to a predetermined s.nd established principle, so as to avoid as much as possible even the appearance of a partial or purely arbitrary disios 1 of the pubhs money voted for current requirements, it is very probable that the raising of the scholarships' grant from Is to Is 6d per attendance, and the enumeration in circulars 14 and 15 of the objects of expenditure, which may be included under "buildings," will leave some portion of your Board funds, other than the committees' special giant of 10s, free for distribution amongst the committees a:cording to tho Board's judgment of their several necessities. I venture in this connection to take the opportunity to point out that occasions may not unfrequently arise when school committees might be reminded with good effect of the provisions of section 80 of the Act, which expressly states that the school fund shall consist not only of moneys granted out of the Board fund, but also of "donations," "subscriptions," and other moneys. The Legislature iu passing this section, must have evidently contcmplßted and even taken for granted, that the persons interested and benefitted by part'cular schools would be willing to augment the school f undß by means of " donations and subscriptions." John Hislop.