THE EDUCATION GRANT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1481, 6 March 1885, Page 2

THE EDUCATION GRANT.

(By Telegraph.) Wellington, Tb-day.

The Government hare had under consideration the distribution of the special vote of L 60,000 passed last session for school buildings. The sum of .L 50.000 .has been distributed amongst the several education districts accordibg to population, the sum of L 3.750 has been taken for Industrial schools and native schools, and the balance of L 6,260 has been divided amongst Boards, as nearly as possible, according to their several necessities. The following are the several sums granted for the current financial year Auckland, L 10,682.; Taranaki, L 1,342 ; Wanganui, L 2,736 ; Wellington, L 5,007; Hawke Bay, L 3,159; Marlborough, LI, 146; Nelson, L 2,707; North Canterbury, L 9,439 ; South Canterbury, L 2.830 ; Westland and Greymouth, L 2.574; Otago, Lll,128; and Southland,* L 3,500. A circular on the subject of the school buildings vote has just been issued. The following are the leading statements of the circular —“ I am to take this opportunity to press upon the consideration of Boards a representation made by the Minister of Education in his sixth annual report, to the effect that Boards shall out of ordinary Board funds make payments for purchasing school buildings just as much as for payment of teachers’ salaries and Boards’ departmental, and other expenditure. As you are aware, the Boards have been informed on several occasions that the Go-

vernment coat of providing and repairing school buildings and that it is incumbent on Boards in conformity with the spirit and letter of the Education Act to devote as large a proportion as possible out of the ordinary capitation grants to this object, and to regard the special vote as merely supplementary. lam further to refer the Boards to section 42 and 80 of the Act, which clearly shows that the legislature contemplated the fund and the School Committee fund being made up to some extent from donations and subscriptions, and also to point out the great advisability of effect being given to a practice that obtained very generally in former years of the Board making it an essential .condition, more especially for painting, fencing, or repairs,

that the residents and those interested in schools should contribute a fixed proportion of the coat. The Government expect the Boards’ contribution towards the funds for such expenditure (which, strictly speaking, is to be regarded as current expenditure) shall be defrayed out of the Boards’ ordinary fund, and that special grants out of loau shall be devoted solely to their legitimate purpose of providing new school buildings and enlarging existing ones.— John Hislop.”