CONVEYANCY TO SCHOOL

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16821, 29 May 1919, Page 8

CONVEYANCY TO SCHOOL

'■■■ OP PRESENT a jj'f«-:^ : ;;-:<-Pei-:' I*ress Association. ?:-;---..■ Ellington,; May 28. : ; A request was placed by a deputation .'before-the Minister of Education today ; for payment ! by the Government of . conveyance allowance to pupils wlio. travel by or other, vehicle to attend technical or secondary schools; in other words for the same allowances as are payable ill the case of pupils attending primary schools, including the secondary department of district high; schools. , It was pointed out that pupils who travel by rail are conveyed free to secondary : . high schools. and technical .high schools). and therefore pupils using other means of., conveyance should be similarly treated. The Minister said that \last year £3503 was paid for the conveyance of pupils by rail to secondary schools, £1144' to district high schools and £3139 to technical schools. It would be impossible, without making special inquiry (so his Department'advised him) to estimate the cost of paying a conveyance allowance to pupils who travel by other means to secondary and technical high schools. Roiighly speaking he was disposed' to •'think, that £SOOO 'or £6OOO annually would-'*be 'required.; With reference to a claim that a boarding allowance of say 5s per week should be made; this item- would run. into a very large sum, about £25>000 annually. To agree:-to these • two proposals to extend conveyance and ; boarding allowances to pupils of secon- ) dary and' technical high schools would ' mean that an additional sum of -not less than £28,000. or. £31,000 would have to be found each" year. The two proposals made the subject a very largo question- for consideration. - He would go into the, matter further wifti his Department, with a view to coming to a conclusion on the matter.