RIDING TO SCHOOL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23149, 22 September 1938, Page 17

RIDING TO SCHOOL

CHILDREN WITH HORSES QUESTION OF ALLOWANCE A reply to a letter from the Auckland Education Board seeking a decision in regard to the payment of grants to children conveyed to country schools on horseback, was received by the hoard yesterday from the Department of Education, which stated that the matter was still under consideration Members pointed out that the matter had been before the department since before If.'iG, and it was felt that a decision should be made. On thejnotion of Mr. W. I. Bowyer, the board decided to write again to the department asking that it should give some indication when a decision would be reached. Under the present regulations, grants are allowed for conveyance to school by vehicles, but not if children ride on horseback, provided there are roads between their homes and schools in a fit state for wheeled vehicles. It was stated after the meeting that if a man had a cart for conveying his children to school he was entitled to an allowance. This was not so if the children had to ride to school on a horse. About a year ago the hoard had sent a return to the department giving the total number of children who rode on horseback'to school in the Auckland district, which comprises about one-third of the school population of New Zealand. It was estimated that the cost to the Government if grants were made in such cases, would not exceed £2OOO a year for the Auckland board's area The return stated that children riding to school on horse numbered 2108, while the number of horses used was 1510.