PUBLIC SCHOOL WANTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19509, 13 December 1926, Page 14

PUBLIC SCHOOL WANTS.

THE SUPPLY OF STATIONERY. SWIMMING AND CAPITATION. Suggestions that Government assistance should be given in tho provision of cheap stationery for school children, that swimming should be made a compulsory subject in the schools, and that capitation should be paid on tho average roll instead of on average attendance, were made by a deputation from tho Auckland School Committees' Association which waited on the Minister of Education, Hon. R. A. Wright, on Saturday. Mr. A. Scott said that if stationery could be provided for tho schools it would mean a saving of 50 per cent, to the parents. Writing pads now cost up to sixpenco each and exercise books up to eightpence each. Practically all schoolbooks were imported and they often passed through six hands before the child-

ren received them. 1 Tho association had been able to provide stationery at a reduced rate but they could not go on doing that indefinitely. It had been said that the association was taking the bread and butter from the stationers, but they had to consider also tho cost to poor parents. An attempt had been made to stop the supplies but without success. The Minister said the Education Department was considering the question of supplies of stationery. It was thought recently that a solution of the problem had been reached, but difficulties had arisen. However, inquiries were still being prosecuted. Mr. Wright said ho agreed with the opinions expressed regarding the importance of teaching swimming. .There would be no difficulty so far as Auckland ' and Wellington were concerned, as they were plenty of natural facilities for swimming, but it was another matter with the inland schools. The trouble was that if anything were done in any one locality, everybody everywhere else immediately asked for the same thing. The Government would find

itself deluged with applications for grants to make swimming pools- at all schools. Already it had been approached for subsidies on money raised for the excavation of pools. The Minister paid a tribute to the work of the association, but he could not hold out any hope that the Government would accede to its request for a subsidy on its funds.

The Director of Education, Mr. J. Caughley, said that in cases of epidemics provision had been made for ignoring any particular quarter or quarters in determining the average attendance. In the case of increased attendances the position could be met by tho appointment of temporary teachers.