A GLIMMER OF HOPE.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17836, 8 October 1929, Page 10

A GLIMMER OF HOPE.

SCHOOLS’ CAPITATION

THE CLEANING PROBLEM. PRIME MINISTER SYMPATHETIC. The Prime Minister's room could hardly have accommodated more people than waited on him as representatives of the school committees and other educational interests throughout the Dominion to request an iilcrease in the capitation grant made by the Government (says the Wellington Evening Post). It was shown that the present grant is altogether inadequate to enable the schools to be properly cleaned, and it was stated that nothing less than £50,000 additional would he sufficient to meet requirements. The Prime Minister, while stressing the acuteness of the present financial position, dismissed the deputation with Hie assurance that there was a glimmer of hope that the Government might be able to do something to meet the request. Mr T. Forsyth, chairman of the Wellington Education Board, pointed out that under tiic present system the hoard would he about £7OO in debt, at the end of the year, on account of the inadequacy of Hie capitation. He referred to the cost of cleaning schools and to the disproportion between the assistance given by the Government to primary and secondary schools. For example, if the Hongolai College had been used, as original!) intended, as a primary school, the allowance would have been £ll2 a vear but ns it was now used as a secondary school tiic amount actually paid was £lB2. If it had been carried on as a primary school the board would have been £7O short in respect of that particular school.

Keenly Annoyed. Mr L. Hennessey, president of the Wellington School Committees’ Association, declared that the Government at no time had paid anything like sufficient to enable the schools to be cleaned; the amount paid was totally inadequate. School committees felt very keen annoyance at this. They were expected to clean tiic schools proper!' 1 at about one-sixth of tiic true cost Of the work. Money was being provided sufficient to enable other schools but Hie primary schools to lie cleaned. Not only was the amount for cleaning primary schools insufficient, but also the cleaners were being sweated. He did not think any school committee had ever been in a position to pay for the services of their cleaners. They got service for the money that was actually spent, but the schools were not properly 1 cleaned as the word \xas generally understood in application to other State buildings or private homes. The Government expected the work of cleaning to be done at a cost of about £lO a room per year. It could not be done. In addition to that cost the committee also had to provide l'or sanitary services, and that was expected "to be carried out for the equivalent of 5s per week, which was likewise impossible. Mr Hennessey submitted that the school committees were entitled tq something better than they were getting in Hie matter of sanitary services, particularly in some of tiic city schools. The present position was "that something like 12,000 school committee members were going round “cadging” money to pay for school services. The committees needed a sum more nearly approaching that given to the high schools, and it was estimated that anything less than £50,000 in addition to the present annual allowance for school cleaning and other expenses would he quite inadequate.

Some Comparisons. Mr N. A. Ingram, secretary of the association, quoted detailed figures to show the deficiencies in respect to certain schools in the Wellington district. The amount paid by the Education Board in excess of the amount given hv the Gox r crnmcnt in lespect of 35 s'chools was last year £777. Comparing primary and secondary schools of about the same attendance, he pointed out that while Petone Central School received £217 Wellington Bovs’ Collese received, on a similar basis, £1256; Berhampore received £167, arid Wellington Girls’ College £841; Te Aro £146, as against Wellington East Girls’ College £689; and Khandallah £BB as compared with Ilongo tai College £399. Primary schools with 1840 scholars, o n the basis of average attendance received tiic equivalent of Gs Sd per scholar, and secondary schools with 1821 scholars, on a 70 per cent, capitation grant, received the equivalent of £1 14s Id per scholar. The representations were supported by school committees all over Hie Dominion.

Question of Finance. Tiic Minister of Education (Hon. H. At more) said lie would not admit that tlie present allowance to school committees was adequate, lint the whole question resolved itself into the amount of finance that could he provided for the purpose. The actual capitation allowance was 10s per year, not 7s, as had been stated in a circular to members of Parliament. Other countries were finding the same difficulty, and probably in no other country in Hie world was the Government paying more in Hie cause of education than was the case in New Zealand. He referred particularly lo Australia, and quoted Ihe following comparisons with New Zealand: —

Mr C. 11. Chapman, M.P.: “Have the committees the same duties?” The Minister: “Yes: it is for carrying out the same duties as in New Zealand.” In 1914 the amount provided by the Government was £43,000. While admitting that the school attendances had largely increased since then, and that Hie purchasing power of money had fallen, tie said Hie average payment per pupil had increased from about 5s 6d to i os. The question was primarily one of finance. Jn conclusion Mr Atmore made it clear that lie recognised the splendid work being done by tiic school committees. To Be Considered.

The Prime Minister (Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) said iris trouble was to find tiic money to make the increase. It was a very serious problem. “When the request was made for £50,000,” lie said, “I commenced to wonder if I should not get out or the roomdaughter} —because we have no opportunity of providing £50,000 in a lump sum for the purpose you have named.” He said he would look into their representations with a syrnpa-

thetic eye and see whether it would he possible to set asid%an additional sum, and if he was able to do so he would make provision on the Supplementary Estimates. He recognised that the school committees were doing valuable work, and that they ought not to be called on to put their hands into their pockets and everlastingly appeal to the people for money to enable them to put the schools in order. He was now going into the whole question of appropriations for submission to Parliament, but he was engaged very largely in cutting down moneys, not adding. A voice: “Don't put the pruning knife on the school committees.” “Naturally," said Sir Joseph, “my sympathies are with the deputation. If the majorities of the school committees are being run on such narrow lines that appeals have to be made it is a condition that ought not to be allowed to go on.” Mr R. Semple, M.P.: “There is a glimmer of hope, then?" The Prime Minister: “There is a glimmer of hope.” (Applause.) The deputation was introduced by Mr R. McKcen, M.P., and several other members were in attendance.

Grant. No. of Pupils. £ Ouccnsland • . 102,000 70,902 Victoria 220,000 82,909 \>w South Wales 278,000 92,7)10 New Zealand . . 210,000 104,500