SCHOOL COMMITTEES,

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144209, 27 September 1913, Page 6

SCHOOL COMMITTEES,

MORE MONEY AVANTED. DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. BY TELEGRAM. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. AVELLINGTON, Sept. 26. The inadequacy of the provision made by tho Education Department for the necessary expenditure by school committees was the subject of some discussion in the House of Representatives this afternoon, on the estimates for Education. Mr. J. C. Thomson (AVallace) first brought the matter up, and entered a very strong protest against the inadequate sums given to school committees. In one ease, ho knew- of a building where tho roof was so low that tho air was nearly always bad, and the committee could not afford to spend tho money to improve affairs. The Government should adopt some general lino of policy for improving tho condition or school committees. Air. G. AA’. Forbes (Hurunui) spoke feelingly on the subject, and cited tho lot, of tho AVaiau School Committee, which had suffered so severely financially because of special difficulties that at last the householders had refused to elect a committee, as a protest against tho inadequate allowance. Mr. Forbes considered it was time that special allowances should be given to backblock schools. As tho matter stood it was a grievance right through Now Zealand. Air. AV. A. A’eltcli (AVanganui) endorsed the complaint, and said that he had once been a committee-man of a school committee, and found it impossible to do the work required with the money available. Tho houses of teachers generally, and school buildings. were in a most unsatisfactory condition in his electorate. Every school was overcrowded, and throughout tho whole country the residences of teachers were had and unhealthy, and the schools themselves wero overcrowded, inadequate and unhealthy, while salaries were so poor that sufficient heart could not be put by teachers into their work.

Mr. H. J. H. Okey (Taranaki) said that in Taranaki the different committees were combining to bring this difficulty under the notice of the Government. The Minister should bo prepared to subsidise sums raised by primary schools just as ho did moneys raised for secondary schools.

In reply, tho Hon. James Allen said that tins was a question really between the hoards and the school committees. Tho rates paid in various districts varied, some being nearly double what was paid in other cases. The boards had power to vary the sums. In regard to replacing school buildings, all ho would say was that this year there would be a larger sura on the Public AA’orks Estimates than there w'as last year. It was impossible to subsidise tho sums raised by school committees, because provision was made for the needs of the committee in another direction, and there would be a doubtohankiug.