PRIMARY-SCHOOLS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3575, 9 October 1916, Page 3

PRIMARY-SCHOOLS.

QUESTION 0F b ALLOWANCES

' Prior to tho'Education-Board's meet-1 ing Thursday a conference was held between members of tho board and the exocutivo of tho School .Committees' Association on the'matter of the proposed decrease in the amount of incidentals. There were present—Messrs J. Jamieson; Opie, Peveril, Banks, Armitage, and Mazey, members of the board, and Messrs Down (Addington), Harvey ' (Waltham), Joyce (Somerfield), and Thompson (Shirley), representing tho association. The association representatives made it clear that the proposed scale would not permit of their schools carrying on tho caretaking, sanitation and supply of requisites, .especially in view ■ of war prices, which' demanded an increase rather than a decrease of funds. All tho representatives strongly objected to the scheme understood to have been in vogue in other districts whereby money was raised locally and subsidised and tho subsidy so gained devoted to oking out the incidental funds. The opinion was unreservedly expressed that v ho North Canterbury committees would 'adopt this illegitimate and questionable procedure. It was admitted that the board could not make^a more just allocation of the money apparently at its command for' this, purpose, than that proposed in the scale submitted. It | was ultimately resolved, oh the motion I of Mr revoril, "That tho Government bo approached' to rewtoro the old capitation grant of 12s Od per head, such being absolutely necessary in view of the increased cots of living and of. tbo prices of all school requisites." Failing this being obtained it was suggested that the board: should scale th^'a-llowance.v. to committees strictly in accordance with tho schedule of tho I .Act, as under this tho allowances _ pay-1 able to small schools woi:c go ridiculously inadequate t.hut 'tin increase would bo absolutely forced upon the authorities at an early date. Schools of attendances of 200 upward would be able to carry on under the grant mn.de in the schedule and would not n>k for more, but for schools with a -mailer attendance tho schedule^ was quite unworkable, and tho board found it absolutely necessary to assist them at tho cost'of the larger schools. The new policy of tho board in .undertaking all repairs . was vehemently criticised, members of the association and some of the board members contending that committees wcro in. a far j 1 better position-to attend to such niat-j' tors cheaply tvud expeditiously.