EDUCATION GRANTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12278, 23 May 1903, Page 6

EDUCATION GRANTS.

NEEDS OF THE AUCKLAND DISTRICT. A deputation, representing the Auckland Education Board, consisting of Mr. J. Muir (chairman) and Mr. V. Rice (secretary), waited on the Premier yesterday morning at the Grand Hotel, and placed before him certain facts showing the- necessity for further Government aid to education in the Auckland district. Mr. Muir referred briefly to the special requirements of the Auckland district in regard to school accommodation, and pointed out that, owing to extension of settlement and growth of population, new demands for school buildings were constantly arising both in town and country. He handed to the Premier a detailed list of applications for special grants, which the Board had already submitted to the Minister for Education, and in respect of which no definite reply had yet been received from him. The amount re-. quired was about £5000, and in addition a further sum of about £1000 was required to supplement the grant already made by the Department towards the cost of the special class rooms for woodwork and cookery, now being erected in the three centres (Ponsonby, Newton, and Newmarket). Mr. Muir went on to state that the Board was quite unable to meet these requirements out of its ordinary grants for building purposes. The amount of ordinary grant was about £9350 a year, with which the Board had to provide for the maintenance and renewal of its sChools and residences, which number in all nearly 600 wooden buildings, many of them more than 30 years old, and requiring a very largo expenditure in repairs to make them decently usable. Some of the buildings were beyond repair, and must be replaced with new ones. The instalment of this grant for. ihe current quarter (ending June SO next) was already spent, and the account was overdrawn to the extent of about £1000. Some of the works included in the list of special applications had already been carried out, the Board deeming it imperative to deal with thorn promptly, in the full confidence that the Government would provide the necessary funds for the purpose. With regard to the buildings for manual and technical instruction, the Board had engaged specially qualified instructors in woodwork and cookery, and the classes in these all-important subjects would be begun in July next. The building and furnishing of a suitable and un-to-dale technical school would soon have to be considered; but the Board was now making the best use of the means at hand, and gathering information as to tlie best way of providing adequately for affording the means of technical instruction commensurate with the educational and industrial requirements of the Auckland district. The Premier said he was aware of the large amount of building that had to be done, and that ho had a personal acquaintance with some of these requirements specified, and he promised to communicate at once with the Minister for Education and to lay the statement before him. At the same- time, he would remind the Auckland Board that it had already received a very large share of the vote for school buildings, and that in other districts—notably Taranaki—settlement was also extending, and that the Board was in as bad a condition as the Auckland Board. Any appropriation beyond the limit of the vote would" have to be brought before Parliament. Mr. Scddon went on to assure the deputation that he had the welfare of education, at heart, and specially the interests cf technical education, which he was anxious to promote by every means in his power. Mr. Muir thanked the- Premier for his courtesy in receiving the deputation.