The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1894. SCHOOL BUILDING FUND.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 4, 13 July 1894, Page 2

The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1894. SCHOOL BUILDING FUND.

We notice that during the past year the sum of £1875 "was all that was granted to the Taranaki Education Board for buildings. Such a sum is totally inadequate to the requirements of a district such as this where so much new settlement is taking place. In order to try and meet the wants of pioneer settles most Boards, similarly situated to Taranaki, have •to draw on the teaching fund to supplement the building fund. Some describe this as “ robbing Peter to pay Paul,” but such is not the case. Taking money Pom the teaching fund to-provide for buildings leaves the Board in the position that it must decrease the salaries of its officers, and this again has the effect of reducing the efficiency of the teaching staff. The more a Board is enabled to-pay for teaching the better the class of teachers they will be enabled to obtain.- In districts where settlement is young further grants are imperative for providing school accommodation, as the present amounts are altogether insufficient. That buildings have Hot been erected in any unnecessary places in the past is proved by the fact that in nearly every case after a short Time,- owing to the advance of settlement, they have proved to be too small to accommodate the children seeking admission. The difficulty could be greatly mimimised, as far as Taranaki is concerned, if a proper adjustment of education districts were made. When the present districts were constituted Taranaki was practically isolated by the belt of country from Nonnauby to Inglewood being unsettled, and by very little settlement being established south of Btoney- River on the western side of the Mount. At that time communication was moie convenient with Wanganui, and.the unsettled country in the provincial district south of Inglewood and Opunake was only looked upon as so many acres with which population was not connected. Now, however, (hat the whole of it, excepting native lands, is settled and facilities given for Communication which brings New Plymouth within easy reach of all parts of the province, wo can see no reason why there should not be an adjustment of the boundaries, so that the whole of the territory in the provincial district should be placed under the jurisdiction of the Taranaki Education Board. Wo feel sure that if proper representations were made to the Government on the matter that the adjustment would be effected, as it would be in the best interests of the advancement of education.