COST OF EDUCATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 22 August 1925, Page 5

COST OF EDUCATION.

DISCUSSED BY PARLIAMENT. JUSTIFIABLE INCREASE. (BY TELEGRAPH prebs ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, Aug. 2L Education matters were discussed' in the House to-night, when the vote in the Estimates of £2,883,869 for the Education Department was considered. Mr R. Masters (Stratford) complained that the salaries offered commercial instructors were insufficient to attract the best men. Mr R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) urged that greater financial assistance should be given to .school committees. Mr D. G. Sullivan (Avon) pressed the claim that the heating apparatus in schools should be wholly a charge on the department. Committees'should not be called upon to contribute to such expenditure. , . The Minister for Education (Hon. Sir «T. Parr) said the expenditure last year increased by £370.600, every penny of which, he said, was justified. Teachers received £50,000 by way of addition to wages. The increase of over five thousand children yearly in the various schools cost about £IOO,OOO more, and the expenditure on new school buildings amounted to £160,000. Alarm had been expressed that 30 per cent, of the children had made poor headway in the schools, but the Minister thought these chiefly were subnormal, and special courses ought to be provided for them. It. was no use trying to push them at the same rate as ordinary children, . As. to commercial instructors, lie thought- the salaries offered, were commensurate with the work required of ’ these particular teachers. Sir John Luke (Wellington North) drew attention to the anomaly which prevented the. payment of money by the department to the relatives of Orphaned children for the latter’s upkeep. At present no payment was permitted unless the children were placed in foster homes or institutions.

Mr J. McCombs (Lyttelton) said the establishment of cottage homes would meet the difficulties arising in cases Avhere under the present system it was found that children . had been placed, despite all care, in undesirable homes. The Minister, referring to the payment of chairman of education boards, agreed that something should be done. He was submitting a proposal to Cabinet touching on school heating. He said the Government could not find monev to provide neiv heating systems in all” the schools of the country. They had chimneys, and if special provision was desired lie thought the Government's contribution of one-third Avas a fair one. As to boarded-out children, every care had to be taken that people did not foist children on to the department and so eA r ade their •respon.'sibilities. This Avas the general position, though he could not speak specifically of the case mentioned by Sir Jbhn Luke, as lie did not knoAV the details of it. The vote A\ r as passed.