THE TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13845, 3 September 1908, Page 6

THE TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

FINANCIAL POSITION. A SATISFACTORY. REPORT. , ■ ■ '■-■" ■ '"•* ..,-.- ' ■ i'. CosirLAnrrs were made at yesterday's meeting of the Board of Education that a wrong impression had been conveyed to the outside public some time after last Board meeting, that there was a deficiency of £4000 on the working of the Auckland Technical School. A report was furnished to the Board yesterday by its Executive Committee as follows:— "The committee, having conferred with the assistant-director (M;;. Darnell-Smith), find that, there is not likely to be any serious deficiency for the current year, 1903; nor is there a prospect of a serious deficiency for the year 1909 if; the capitation grants were to be continued at their present rates. But, if the capitation bo reduced as proposed by Government, there will be a very serious loss, which Mill necessitate a redaction of the staff -and salaries of the technical department. While recognising the fact that it is desirable to prevent, a* far as possible, any unnecessary over-lapping in ' secondary and technical schools, your committee desire to point out that the ; technical day school affords v superior facilities for the technical training of boys and girls for ; commercial I pursuits, and the same argument would apply to the, technical training for mechanical pursuits. The number of studeuw at the day school in,1906 was 83; it is now 187. These results show that the school is doing a necessary ■ work : and meeting,.a'- public want'; by training and qualifying candidates for -comj mercial pursuits, in order to meet thb inj creasing demand." | The Chairman (Mr. C. J. Parr) said that the expense* for the current year would be about met by the receipt, and there would be she aias position next year if the Board was able to retain the day school* upon the j capitation basis of 15s per head, but the Department proposed to reduce the capitation to 10s, and that would mean a serious deficiency. This should be pointed out to the Minister, and the responsibility should rest with him. The reduction of the capitation to : 10s would cripple the institution. The committee felt that the day school should not overlap the work of the Grammar SchooL and found that. it did not do so, for the subjects were mainly of a commercial, character. Students wer% trained for office work, and, in fact, 1, the school could not supply them as fast as the mercantile offices wanted them. Mr. E. C. Purdie said that many teachers of country schools complained. that - only about a-thlrd of the capitation allowance for techEical work ever reached the; small schools. Ho intended to move for a return of the capitation earned by, each school, and the amount expended. ' Mr. Garland: An impression was circulated about a week after last Board meeting that there was a deficiency of £4000 on the working of the technical "schooL It should I be clearly stated that there is no such de- ! ficiency. Mr. Purdie: It was stated at last meeting that there was a deficit of £4000. If the Department withdraws £500 a year, it will be a serious position. Personally I think the commercial work could be better taught at She Grammar SchooL Mr. Parr: The Grammar School :: is •'a secondary school, and its primary object is to teach secondary education. Mr. Darnell-Smith {acting-director of the school) said' deficit* were shown each year, | and would: be shown this year, but if th©} capitation earned during She" year, and which ! was not paid till the following year, were taken into account, there was no deficit. The Chairman: It is unfair to Mr. George that this wrong impression should have been allowed to get abroad during his absence." * '' The report was then adopted.