COST OF EDUCATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20499, 29 August 1928, Page 5

COST OF EDUCATION.

SHRINKAGE IN EXPENDITURE. THE DEPARTMENT’S POLICY. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLIGTON, August 28. Due to shrinkage in the expenditure on buildings, the cost of education for the year which ended on March 31 last showed a decrease of £139,871 on the previous year’s figure. According to the annual report of the Minister of Education (Mr R. A. Wright) which was presented to Parliament to-day the total expenditure, including endowment revenue, amounted to £3,847,545, as against £3,987,416 for the previous year. The decrease is attributed largely to 1 the drop of expenditure on buildings I from £501,292 in 1926-27 to £368,479 in 1927-28. In the former year, the Minister explained the department was , * committed to abnormal expenditure in connection with the building of institutions of the higher type. Two cases in point were the expenditure of £65,966 on the new Medical School at the University of Otago, and of £49,345 at the Massey Agricultural College. In 1827-28 the department did not have such heavy commitments, and was _ consequently able to keep the expenditure almost within the limit of the amount made available for building purposes. Deducting the amount spent on buildings the expenditure was £3,479,066, which is equivalent to £2 8s 4d per head of the mean population of New Zealand for 1927. The cost per head the previous year, excluding the cost of buildings, was £2 9s 4d. The following table shows the amount spent for the year ended March 31 last on new buildings, additions, sites, and teachers’ residences; — Primary Schools .. .. £190,940 Secondary Schools .. 93,878 Technical Schools .. .. 30,060 Training Colleges .. .. 6,349 Universities 23,208 Native Schools .. .. 11,430 , Special Schools .. . • 3,5ip Free Kindergartens .. Nil Massey Agricultural College 0,104 The Minister states that in order to save the State the heavy cost due to the inflation of land values by the opening of new railways and generally to closer settlement in districts being opened up, the department has extended its policy of purchasing new sites in advance of settlement. It has also continued its policy of centralising schools in localities where the condition of roads, the location of existing schools, the suitability of train services and other material factors render such a course advisable and economical. Careful consideration is being given to the fresh air type of school, arrangements having been made to note from time to time its effect on the health of the pupils as against the department’s normal type of open air building.