BACK-BLOCKS CHILDREN.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 4944, 18 September 1914, Page 6

BACK-BLOCKS CHILDREN.

MATTER OB' EDUCATION. CONVEYANCE TO SCHOOL. (By Telegraph.—Special Reporter.) Wellington, This Day. The lot of the back-blocks children who have to travel long distances to school was referred to by Mr O. Hunter in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. He suggested to the Minister that some more generous provision ought to be made by the Government for the conveyance of school children in these sparselysettled districts. He noted that there was a sum of £IO,OOO on the Estimates for this purpose, but contended this would probably prove to be insufficient, and children in the outlying districts would be under a great disadvantage. He lfoped the Minister would see his way to treat Education Boards rather more generously than they had been treated in the past in regard to allowances for the carriage of children. It was very depressing indeed to see in the back-blocks parties of small children riding or walking long distances to school in pouring rain. These children line! to remain in school in their ivet clothes all day, and in the evening they arrived home in the same condition. Tip? Hon, J. Allen said the ’ subject of the conveyance of school children was a very vexed one. The | Government did not profess to taka upon itself the whole burden of the conveyance of school children for the Teason that if the Department were to do this the Government would he let in for expenditure over which they had no control. The Education Boards lied control of this expenditure and it was necessary' in order to pul the responsibility on the Boards to make them find some of the money. The Boards naturally tried to put all the expenditure on the Government when they ought to shoulder some of it themselves. This would ensure care in the administration of the money. He was in favour generally of the principle of conveying children to school in the backblocks to prevent the multiplication of smell schools.