EDUCATION BOARD’S PROTEST

Evening Star, Issue 19774, 26 January 1928, Page 5

EDUCATION BOARD’S PROTEST

MAINTENANCE GRANT CONSIDERABLY REDUCED DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATION CRITICISED SUGGESTION OF OVERLAPPING* An intimation by tho Education Department that the monthly account for the maintenance of school buildings this year would be £933 16s Sd, equal to a reduction of £2,376 compared with last year, evoked a strong protest by members of tho Education Board this morning, and drew forth some outspoken comment on the administrative methods of tho department. Tho chairman (Mr J. Wallace) sftri the reduction would mean a serious curtailment of tho work which the board had to carry out during the coming year. Ho could not say why the department was doing it. The Auckland board, he noticed, had made a protest against tbo reduction. Mr J. Horn, M.R., said it would be very difficult to keep tho schools in anything like good repair. Tho Chairman said the architect was very perturbed about the matter because it meant that the condition of many of the schools would go back to what it was during the war years. They had found it difficult to carry out'necessary work last year on tho grant they had, and how they would do it on a less amount he did not know. It would probably mean that they would have to dispense with the services of five or six tradesmen. Mr J. H. Wilkinson also considered it was a very serious matter. During the war period they had advised many committees that improvements for which they applied would ho done when finance became easier, but now they would lie unable to carry out a great deal of that work. Tho board had a duty in attending to the requirements of the schools throughout the district, but many of them could not be keptjt up to a. stage of efficiency if the board did not have the money to expend on them. Tho board bad a factory where furniture was made and other _ work done for tho schools, and even in the reduction of the maintenance account tho overhead expenses of tho factory would go on just tho same. He did not know if a. reason had been given by the department for the reduction. 'Mr J. Mitchell; “It is obvious.”

Mr Wilkinson suit! it might be obvious, but it should be remembered that the welfare of the children should bo the first consideration. It should be the last branch of the service in which the priming knife should be applied. The Chairman said he did not know* if this reduction was the result of a statement ho had made some time ago. That statement was that if the department gave the hoard the money to use it would save £2,000 a year for the department. Mr Smith; “The money is being spent on their head office, I think.’* The Hon. D. T. Fleming said there was a need of investigating the 8& ministrative methods of tlio depart ment from top to bottom. A great deal of overlapping was going on, and that was where a lot of tho money was going. The Chairman said that ten or fifteen years ago there were three inspectors in Otago and they inspected every child in tho school. Now there were five inspectors, and they could not do tho work. Tho Hon. D T. Fleming said thaf> half of the inspectors’ time was taken up in departmental work. The Chairman said he meant no reflection on the inspectors personally. Mr Mitchell: “The inspectors are being made clerks by having to make up a lot of departmental returns which are useless.” Mr Mitchell said he took it the reduction would he for only tho three remaining months of tho financial year. That would take them to the end of March. Inquiry should he made as to whether that was the ease. The Chairman: “ They do not say so.” Mr Horn said he thought Mr Mitchell was wrong. Tho Minister of Education was given so much on ‘the Estimates for the financial year. Tho Chairman said that even if Mr Mitchell were right tho department was cutting them down too much. It was decided to make a protest to tho department.