PARENTS TO PAY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXV, Issue 18948, 6 August 1931, Page 8

PARENTS TO PAY

FOR DENTAL CLINIC TREATMENT. MAIN SCHOOL’S ACTION. Following notification of an increase in their allocation towards the maintenance of the Timaru schools’ dental clinic, the Timaru Main School Committee at their meeting last night, decided to make a direct charge on parents for the treatment of their children attending the School. The chairman (Mr A. Carnegie) said that at last meeting the position in regard to the dental clinic had been discussed in view of the fact that the Committee would shortly be called upon to make another grant towards the clinic funds. The matter had been deferred to the present meeting, and in his opinion a small charge should be made for each child, so that the Committee could meet their obligations. Approximately £36 was required to meet the Committee’s yearly liability.

The secretary (Mr W. Catter), said that Main School had about 340 children attending the clinic, and if a flat rate of 2/6 per head were made, £42 10s would be raised. For more than one child in a family the charge could be reduced. Mr J. W. Preen stated that other School Committees were endeavouring to raise their quotas by dances and the like, so as to avoid a direct charge on parents. He regretted that the School Committees’ Association had not been called together to form a Dental Clinic. Committee, with a view to reaching unanimity on the subject. Mr C. Lund: “Other schools have appealed to parents as we have done in the past.” Mr Preen: “That means that parents pay for treatment indirectly.” Mr J. Harley: “Some parents are prepared always to give, but others escape.” Mr Preen: “And some without children at the School give through an appeal.” Mr Lund moved that a charge of 2/6 for parents with one child, and a fiat charge of 5/- for families of over one child, be made.

In seconding the motion, Mr Harley said that the charges would be very reasonable. Parents who neglected their children’s teeth were not doing their duty. He considered a direct charge would not cost parents as much as having to provide costumes for a fancy dress dance.

The chairman said that the best clinic appeal response had been £l2. If they made an appeal they might receive sufficient to meet one quarter. The motion was carried unanimously, the chairman, secretary, and headmaster (Mr W. W. Garton) being appointed to make arrangements for collection.