EDUCATION VOTE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 95, 22 March 1932, Page 2

EDUCATION VOTE

BOARD SUPPORTS ECONOMIES.

NATIONAL COMMISSION’S REPORT.

Approval of numerous recommendations affecting education in the report of the National Expenditure Economy Commission was voiced by the Wanganui Education Board last evening, when a special meeting was held m order to go fully into the recommendations. Those present were Messrs E. F. Hemingway, Woodroofe, Oram, Coleman, Hornblow, Tingey, Dukeson, Aitxen and Adams. The proposals of the Commission were considered seriatim.

Mr Hemingway moved that the board support the abolition of all primary manual training, and this was agreed to. Mr Oram said he did not think the Dominion had received adequate value for the £91,951 spent annually on this kind of training. The saving to be effected by discontinuing the conveyance of school children had been estimated as £50,000. The board argued that this service was necessary. It was. pointed out that in many cases the system would still be continued.

“The closing of grade O schools will cause a great hardship on the country children, and the saving effected will not be as big as is estimated,” said Mr Oram. The board agreed with this contention.

The bohrd approved the recommendation that over-scale salaries be not paid to teachers. It was estimated that £3OOO could be saved in this way.

The board protested against the cutting of school committees’ allowances, and was also emphatic in its protest against depriving necessitous children of free school books.

Approval was given of the saving of £23,750 by cutting down the maintenance of school buildings, as well as of the proposed saving of £75,000 by reducing the salaries of female primary teachers.

Members agreed that no hardship would be inflicted by raising the school age from five to six years. When the proposal to discontinue allowances to training college students was under review, Mr Tingey said that contracts would be broken this year even though the students entered college under a contract. “The fact that people have to pay makes them appreciate a thing, and 2s_6d is little enough to pay for a proficiency certificate,” said Mr Oram when payment for certificates was considered. The board, however, disS 1 with this method of raising .

“I feel very strongly that it is breaking faith with the people of Taranaki, who bore the heat and burden of the day in the Maori troubles, to take the Taranaki endowments. If they touch these endowments I don’t know where it will 4 end. _ Why seize educational endowments in, preference to other endowments?” said Mr Hemingway. “We need the money,” said a member, and the majority agreed. The estimated saving of £33,000 on post-primary education, £3OOO on special sewing service and £II,OOO on agricultural instruction were approved by the board.

The rise in the cost of administration. of the Education Department, in comparison with the costs of education boards, was proved by the following figures:

1916 1930 Education Boards ~. £33,368 £49,740 Education Dept. .... £13,868 £42,284 These proved very illuminating to the board members.