EDUCATION BOARDS AND THE MEASLES

Timaru Herald, Volume LV, Issue 5780, 25 September 1893, Page 4

EDUCATION BOARDS AND THE MEASLES

At the meeting of the Otago Education Board last week a letter was read from Mr W. J. Habens, of tbe Eduoation Department, Wellington, as under :-" Under OrderinCouncil issued this daj the payment of capitation allowance to eduoation boards for tho current quarter is to be according to the working average attendance for the quarter ended 30th June last. The necessary adjustment will be made m your payment for this month. Pleaso lot your return of attendance for thiß quarter show both strict aod working uvevafce. The Minister intends to take the su'ujjct into consideration for next quarter when tbe roturns are m." Mr Fraer moved—" That the Minister of Education be communioated with, and informed thnfc tho suggested payment as per circular does not meet the case of the Otego Kducation Board, who sufferod a loss of over £1000 for the June quarter by the measles epidemio, and who, from present appearaiices, are likely to do the same for tbe September quarter. As only £250 will come to the Board under the working average, this will make a difference for the two quarters of £1750. Tho board would therefore strongly urge the Minister of Eduoation to ,(jivo more favourable consideration to the iioard'a request to be recouped its lobs." The education Department it appeared to him wanted to make an unfair saving of from £10,000 to £15,000. They saw that tbe measles epidemic had affected the attendance at Bchools, ond yet m face of that, they proposed to act m a way whish he thought was very unfair ; they were attempting to make a saving m the estimates through a visitation of Providence, If tbe attendance had gone up m the sobools of the colony, say by 4000 or 5000 they would huve had to provide more money for the Bohooh, no matter whether it was voted or not. Mr Green seconded the motion Ibe Board would loße, roughly speaking, about £2000 through the epidemio, and, that being so, the Minieter was dealing with the matter io a moat unsatisfactory manner. They should raise their proteefc against bis action, exprejs great regret that it had be. n taken, and ask that the matter should bo reconsidered, so that a more satisfactory arrangemont might be brought about. Dr Stenboute thought it was a dishonest thing for tbe Minister of EdunaMnn or his department to take advantage of v visitation of Providence for the purpose of entiobing the department. It was not as if they were «cliing the department for money that had noo ocen iklreudy provided, so thiit there was no doubt whatever that the object of the department was a parsimonious saving at the expense of the ocucation boards That was not the way m which education boards carrying on their onerous duties with very great difficulty should be treated. The motion was agreed to unanimously.