SCHOOL COMMITTEES' FUNDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 13

SCHOOL COMMITTEES' FUNDS.

CAPITATION TO BE RESTORED.. Replying to a question by Sir. Witty,, the Hon. G..Fowlds (Minister for Education)'states that it is proposed to renew the ninepence per head capitation grant to school committees this year; and liewould bo quite williug- to reinstate it in the form in w;hicli it was previously paid if such reinstatement would solve satisfactorily' the question' of allowances to school'committees. It hardly appeared, however, that that would be the case. The subjoined table shows , the rate of school committees' allowances per head of average attendance in 1903 -(the year before the special capitation was given), 1908 (the last year in which it was given), and 1909. It would be seen that between 1003 and 1908 four boards slightly increased the allowances made in addition to -the 9d.; nine boards decreased their average rates by varying amountssix of them, by more than 'the amount of the special capitation of 9d. Further, .the average rate of allowances per head varied in 1909 from 6s. s)\d. in North Canterbury to 35." oil. in' Grey. In' Nelson in 1908 the rate fell as low as 2s. sd. It was ouite clear that the reinstatement of the spccial capitation in its old form would not remove these glaring inequalities ill the rates of allowam/cs paid by boards to the school eommittes. It would probable, therefore, be better to increase the rate of capitation to the education boards from lis. ,3d. to 12s. per head, and to nauio by statute the minimum average, rate of allowance to be paid by the boards to the committees. This solution was not quite perfect; but owing to the special circumstances of our education system in the Dominion it was .probably-as good a' solution as can be found.

The following table gives the average rate of allowance per unit of average attendance made by-the education boards to school committees, exclusive of the special capitation of od., compiled from the returns of the, education boards

1903. 190 S. 1909. s.. d. s. d. s. d. Auckland .; 52J 54J SGJ Taranaki 5 0 1 11 5 0J Wanganui 1 5} 'I 71 I (W Wellington . >1 1 41} 4 i llawke's Bay (i lli (I lj y 31 Marlborough .... G lli (! oj 16f Nelson 4 81- 2f> 3GI Grey 5 01 3 i\ 3 5 Westlnnd 3 10} 3 81 3 10.1 North Canterbury 7 8} (i G{ g9? South Canterbury 4 101- 5 2J 5 u Otago 6 if 5 ll| 5 II!.. Southland a 51 5 5 - 5.4} All boards 5 7 531 slj