SCHOOL HOSTELS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19667, 8 December 1933, Page 13

SCHOOL HOSTELS

HIGH PER CAPITA COST SOME OVER £IOOO A PUPIL Interesting figures, showing the amounts which the Government has contributed toward the erection of school hostels and the extent of the use that is being made of these hostels today, have been tabled in the Legislative Council on the motion of the Hon. C. J. Carrington. Since March 31, 1920, Government grants have been made for 13 school hostels. The total cost to the State has been £259,320, and the average number of pupils in residence in all hostels for the last calendar year was only 560. The following table shows the average number of pupils at each hostel during the year ended December 31, 1932, and the capital cost of each hostel to the State:—

It will be observed that In the case of three hostels—Wairarapa boys, Wellington boys and Wanganui boys and girls—each pupil in residence during 1932 represents a capital expenditure by the State of more than £IOOO, and in several other cases the amount Is only slightly less than this. Without the inclusion of the New Plymouth and Nelson Boys’ hostels, which are together responsible for nearly half the total of pupils, the comparative figures would be even more startling. As it is, over the whole group, each pupil represents a State expenditure of nearly £SOO.

Cost to Pupils State Gore High School (boys and girls) 20 £10,051 Timaru High School .. (girls) 40 £5,050 Wairarapa (boys) .. .. 15 £23,452 Waitaki (girls) 24 £5,197 Wellington (boys) .. .. 43 £43,416 Whangarei (boys) .. .. 37 £12,020 New Plymouth (boys) 100 £16.872 New Plymouth (girls) .. 25 £21,617 Napier (boys) 23 £20,733 Nelson (boys) 156 £47,677 Feilding (boys) 36 £15,530 Greymouth (boys and girls) 13 £3,147 Wanganui (boys and girls) 28 £34,558 Totals 560 £259,320