HIGH SCHOOL FINANCES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14838, 15 February 1919, Page 5

HIGH SCHOOL FINANCES.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER-

Consequent on a resolution at yesterday's meeting of the High School Board of Governors to interview the Hon. T. M. Wilford m reference to school affairs, Messrs E. H. Mann, F. P. Lysnar, J. W. Bright, and A. C. Steele waited upon : the Minister this morning. - Mr Mann submitted a statement, m the course of which hei intimated that a serious position had arisen from the attitude taken by the Department m refusing to allow expenditure on improvements to the school to be taken intoi account when calculating the amount of capitation payable. Tn 1917 the Board received £1692 15s 4d: m 1918, £867 11s sd, with a demand for a refund of £450 at least,- leaving £412. This year there would probably bo no capitation. Thfe Department apparently assumed their income was large enough to carry on. This might be true if the school' was large enough to meet requirements for years to come_and was furnished,, with all necessary and desirable, adjuncts to make it compare favorably with the best equipped New Zealand 'schools. The main items of income iii 1918 were : Endowments £3718, reserves £602, paying pupils £262, capitation £412, while the -items of expenditure were — salaries £2748, administration and general maintenance expenses £1110. interest on loans and instalments- of capital £802; total, £4660, as against £4994 income. The Department refused m 1917 to sanction the erection of the assembly hall, which cost £2278, but the usefulness of which it was difficult to overrate. Authority was refused for the purchase cf 6£ acres last year,., w-hich involved a present payment of £600 with an annual charge of £72 for five yea/s, when £1200 must be found. In respect to the rectory site, there was an amcumt of £2700 due to Dr Davis. Increase of salaries amounted to £100 ,a year. The speaker then enumerated certain requirements m respect to the* school building. Between 19 and 20 per cent, of the pupils m the preparatory department m 1918 came from the town. He urged that a protest might fairly be made as to the attitude of the Department of the preparatory pupils.. If we had good roads and extensive railway facilities there would be something to say against their providing boarding atid school accommodation for juniors, but four-fifths of these were comjng from the country and a real educational need was being met. Mr Mann added that the schood was overcrowded. The institution was prospering, as was instanced by the fact that the last year's increase of pupils -was 40. The* position was one which called for the attention of the authorities.

The Minister, m reply, said that m regard to the deputation, he could express no opinion whatever. He would interview the hon. Minister for Education: (Hon. Mr Hanan), and would express to him the views of the deputation, and^ information would "be forwarded direct through the Education Department.