CONVENT AND TECH.

Wairarapa Age, 22 February 1924, Page 5

CONVENT AND TECH.

A QUESTION OF FEES. REFERRED TO DEPARTMENT. >. ' At last night’s meeting of the Mastertoil Technical School Board of Managers, a letter was read from St. Patrick’s Convent School applying for a class in cookery and one in woodwork for pupils in the primary department. The director reported that he had made inquiries and that in a number of centres, c.g., Wellington, Palmerston North and Hamilton, the Technical bcliools took classes from local private schools. He suggested that the classes admitted. The controlling authority of the Convent School was prepared to pay a small fee. The chairman (Mr J. M. Cora dine) said the High School paid no fee, so why should the Convent ? Mr Blackman asked whether it was the day school or the Convent. The director understood it was the day school. * Mr Blackman said the difference was that the day school imposed practically no charge for'tuition, whereas the Convent did charge. Mr Grundy suggested that the matter be referred to the Department. The chairman: I cannot see why we should differentiate between one school and another. The High School get in free. Mr Grundy said that the pupils had the opportunity •of going to the High {School. Another point was that some of the pupils were not holders of free places. Mr G. Selby was in favour of referring the matter to the Department* saying that the Board was prepared to take the pupils. The Chairman: I should say that we arc taking them. Mr Rippon said he could not see why, if one school’s free-place holders were admitted free the others should not. Mr Grundy: The position is that pupils coming who do not attend a school pay a fee. These pupils do not come from a State school and do not want to pay a fee. The chairman said that this was not quite correct, and referred to the letter." The director said a class was guaranteed and if the £1 fee per pupil was charged the school authority could not pay it. Monsignor McKenna and the acting-director of the Palmerston North Technical School had informed , him that the Convent school pupils ■ there were taken free. Mr Blackman said that if that was the ease there was no reason why they should not be taken free. The chairman moved that the pupils ► be taken free conditionally on the approval of the Department. Mr Blackman seconded, and the motion was carried.