FINANCING OF SCHOOLS

Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1929, Page 12

FINANCING OF SCHOOLS

STATE CAPITATION GRANT COMMITTEES SEEK AN INCREASE. DEPUTATION TO PRIME MINISTER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A big deputation waited on Sir Joseph Ward to-day, representing school committees and other education bodies, requesting an increase .in the capitation o-rant. °lt was stated that nothing less than £50,000 would be sufficient to meet the requirements. Sir Joseph Ward said his trouble was to find the money. He recognised that the committees were doing valuable work and ought not to be . called upon to put their hands into their pockets and everlastingly appeal to. the people for money to enable them to put the schools in order. He was sympathetic and dismissed the deputation with the assurance, in answer to a question from Mr. R. Semple, that there was a glimmer of hope. He would see if there was a possibility of setting aside an additional sum.' If able to do so he would make provision in the Supplementary Estimates. _ The Minister of Education, the Hon. H. Atmore, said the whole problem resolved itself into the amount of finance that could be provided for the purpose. Other countries were finding the • same difficulty with capitation grants and in no other country in the world was the Government paying more in the cause of education than Was the case in New . Zealand. Mr. Atmore referred particularly to Australia and.quoted the following comparisons with New Zealand: . Queensland— Number of pupils, 152,000; grant, £70,992. Victoria. —Children, 220,000; grant, £82,909. New South Wales— Children, 278,000; arant, £92,510. C New Zealand.—Children, 216,000; errant, £101,500. ± ° Mr. Atmore paid a warm tribute to the splendid work of the committees.