MAINTENANCE OF SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17275, 26 September 1919, Page 8

MAINTENANCE OF SCHOOLS.

GRANTS TO COMMITTEES. , SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES. * [BY TELEGRAPH. SPECIAL REPORTER ] WELLINGTON. Thursday. A new scale of allowances to be made by education boards to schools committees is prescribed by the Education Act Amendment Bill, which has been introduced by the Government. The scale rises according to average attendances, from £13 a year in case of an attendance of 20; £42 for attendance of 120 ; £92 for attendance of 320; £120 for attendance of 440; £160 for attendance of 640; and £200 where the attendance is 840, with an additional £8 for each 40, or part thereof, in the attendance of upwards of 840.

VERY WELCOME INCREASES.

THE COST OF STATIONERY.

| Those concerned with the work of -committees in the Auckland City and suburban i school districts state that the new scale of I allowances will represent an appreciable increase on the present grants. Small schools with average attendances of 20 will receive an advance of £3 a year. The increases will rise gradually with the larger schools until in the case of those with an attendance of 440 it will be £120 as against £100 as at present. Committees whose schools have an average attendance of 640 will receive £160 instead of £130. and those with attendances of 840 will be granted £200 as against £160. A bonus, in addition to the fixed grants, has been received by committees during the past two years, on account of the increased cost of the maintenance of schools, but many of the committees have found considerable difficulty in keeping their expenditure within the limits of their income. The rise in the cost of stationery has been an important factor in this connection. On the other hand, some of the committees state that they have not experienced any serious difficulty in making both ends meet. The provisions of the Bill will be discussed at an early date by the Primary Schools' Committees' Association.