APPENDIX A.

Colonist, Volume XX, Issue 2398, 8 June 1878, Page 4

APPENDIX A.

Circular to Secretaries of School Com-

mittees,

Nelson June 6,1878.

Sir,—lam directed by the Nelson Education Board to urge upon your Committee the necessity of using every exertion to increase the daily attendance of the school children in your District. The Board has good reason to believe that there are few, if any, school districts in which, the number of scholars in actual attendance doei not fall considerably short of the whole number of children of school age ■within easy reach of a school. The Board's income is now made todepend entirely upon the number of scholars in daily attendance, and a careful estimate of the probable income and expenditure of the Board for the coming financial year shows that, after the salaries of teachers and the ordinary departmental expenditure hate'been provided for, the available, margin left for repairs, school-furniture and other unavoidable expenses, will be exceedingly narrow, unless vigorous steps are taken to increase an attendance that might, in the opinion of the Board,,be largely augmented, even without putting in force the compulsory clause. , The capitation grant on a large proportion of the Nelson schools, as at present attended,' fails to cover the cost of teachers' salsifies alone, while, in many others, the surplus is hardly sufficient to meet the ordinary Committee allowance.' ' '■''■' Under these circumstances,-the Board feels that it is justified in calling upon the School Committees to co-operate with them in endeavouring to secure such an income as will at least relieve the Board from the invidious task of constantly refusing applications for the most necessary repairs and improvements. I have the honor to be, Sir Your obedient Servant, W. C. Hodgsom,