CONCESSIONS GRANTED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 248, 17 September 1936, Page 8

CONCESSIONS GRANTED.

ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOLS. INCREASED MAINTENANCE. Advice was received, at the monthly meeting of the Wanganui Education Board, yesterday, of a number of concessions from the Department of Education. These included an increased allowance to school committees for incidental expenses and a change in the system of school grading. The board decided to send a letter of appreciation to the Minister of Education (Hon. P. Fraser) for these two particular concessions. Advice was received that the department lxad decided to make an increase in the grants to school committees for incidental expenses for the current year. The secretary (Mr G. N. Boulton) reported that the increase amounted to approximately £3732, and he was instructed to bring down a report to the next meeting of the board regarding the allocation of the increase. Advice was also received that the department had decided to base the grading of schools for next year on 95 per cent, of the average attendance for the first four weeks of the third term of the academic years.

The chairman (Mr E. F. Hemingway) : That is a big advance. The senior inspector (Mr A. F. Mcmurtrie): Decidedly. It will be a great help to every primary school. Intimation was received that an increased grant was to be made during the current year for the maintenance of buildings.' The secretary reported that last year £4896 had been received for this purpose in addition to subsidies from the Unemployment Board. This year £7711 would be received. The chairman said that this year the board was receiving valuable assistance from the Public Works Department.

The department also notified the restoration of the 10 per cent, reduction in travelling allowances, but not in respect of the mileage allowance for motor-cars used by board members; the reinstatement from the beginning of the third term of grants to enable instructresses to be employed in sole teacher schools in charge of males for needlework instruction: and that parttime teachers could be employed to teach commercial subjects in district high schools.