SUBSIDIES TO SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1917, 27 November 1913, Page 10

SUBSIDIES TO SCHOOLS.

ISraURKINJI'STICK? Tlic Question of the payment of subsidies to schools by tin- Government was discussed at tiio'- last 'meeting -of the Education Board. The mutter was brought up '«' Mr. A. AV. ■ Hogg,. wjio moved, in accordance with previous nolice.: —''Tlv.it the hoard's general -approval of the Kdueation Amendment Bill bo rescinded.in relation to Clause ■!, ami that the board express the .opinion that the proposal in the clause mentioned, to limit subsidies on voluntary contributions payable- to district high schools to subsidies on contributions mado in aid of the- secondary department only, will seriously injure the primary classes conducted in these, schools, by the withdrawal of State aid to' which ihey have been accustomed hi the past, without materially helping iho sosoiidary classes, which is the object apnarcnl.lv intended." the proposal in the Bill, Mr. Hogg said, was eminently unwise. llc should like to know why primary school eliii-. dreo attending district high schools, should Ik; sacrificed, and specially selected for the withdrawal of these subsidies. Many of these pupils ivero the children of poor parents, and had to he withdrawn from school while the Fourth, Fifth, or Sixth Standards, so as to help to keep the pot boiling. If the Minister had realised his cruelty towards so many young children, he, would not Jiav« inserted the clause: in the Bill. At Masterton. for instance, there were M pupils in the secondary department, and 376 primary scholars. Surely, nil these small children should not be penalised for the benefit of the older pupils. The clause, was a most unjust one. The motion was seconded, pro forma, by Mr. W. H. Allan, who. however, opposed it. Ho did not think that the clause imposed any injustice. . Mr. J. G. W. Aitken also opposed the motion. Certain schools had been more favoured by the Government than others, and the Bill proposed to put; •tliem all on the same footing. The chairman (Mr. 11. lire) agreed with Mr. Aitken. He said that the motion did not fulfil its intended.purpose. Tlw. clause, was designed to give- rill schools fair treatment. if Mr. Gog£ Imd moved that all primary schools receive subsidies, that would be a different thing. Mr. Hogg said that primary schools received subsidies for certain defined subjects. If tiie primary departments of district high schools were not to have the benefit; of subsidies on voluntary contributions, those contributions would ho no longer forthcoming. The clause gave no assistance to secondary classes, and did injury to the primary departments. The motion was lost, Mr. TTogg alone voting for it.'