SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2205, 18 July 1914, Page 11

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

'• : FINANCIAL PEOBLEMS. The straitened financial position ofcertain of the secondary schools of N the Dominion was brought before the Minister of Education (Hon. J. Allen) by a deputatioin, which waited upon him on , Thursday, Mr. Hunter, M.P., introduced , tho, deputation, which - consisted of Messrs. .T. E. Hodder (chairman of, tho Palmerston North High School Board), J . .Vernon. (Eeotor. of the Palmerston .High\ School), A. E. Bennett (Palmer.ston), W.; Bain (chairman of the Dannevirke High. School Board), J. ■A. Young, •M'.P. .(representing the Hamilton High School Board), and G. J. Anderson, M.P. Air. Hodder, in explaining the position of the Palmerston High School, an one of the unendowed institutions, . said that' about a year additional was required to p'oce it in a position equal to that of- other schools of a/similar sizewhich had endowments.. Ho submitted a table .showing' tho position of the respective schools, and also asked for a £4000 to enable the Palmerston Beard'to take 'over and extend the hostel r in connection with that school which the rector (Mr. Vernon) bad establishedat a : personal outlay of about .£2OOO. • .Mr. Bain said that the Dannevirke Brard, which had no, endowments) ex- ' perienced great difficulty in obtaining ..teachers because the endowed schools were, able to .offer larger salaries. He urged that all the endowments should be nationalised'in. order to place . all tfio eecondary schools on the same footing. Some of the secondary 'schools were now deriving very.large revenues from their ■endowments, and there were thus in , a much better' position than schools without endowments.. . . ■.'..'■ ■ Mr. Vernon said that jthe Palmerston Board had had a very uphill, fight, and the lack of funds had greatly hampered it'in its endeavour to do good work. When the hostel was established it was mot' known that tho Government would grant assistance to such objects,; but as .grants had;since been made for hostel ■elsewhere, the. present application was made. ■...■, : -..."■. ■ Mr. Collingwood (Palmerston.North), Mr. 'Anderson, and Mr. Young also spoke. " .. ■ • .':••"■ . '•'■ ■ " ,; '■■■ ■-■ Mr. Allen' said that the ! 'hostel question was entirely one of money. Last year'an additional w£25,000; for building purposes' had ; been '. yoted, but ■ they could not go on;>increasin(;r.grants,iin-.thi3w.ay without hampering*';the'finances' of the country. .Every case would be dealt with on its merits, and the most urgent cases,would have first;consideration.. In the Education Bill ho had endeavoured to make provision for the weaker schools. He wag not prepared to advise Parliament to nationalise and "pool" the reserves, as that would be unjust to thos« districts where the early settlers had had the. foresight to , set aside endowments for secondary education. ' Where it was possible to provide State endowments for unendowed schools he would be very pleased to do it, He propo?"d in his Bill to pay a fixed sum of £1M to each school, and- also to. raise the capitation allowance to the weaker schools from £\2 10s. to £13 10s. He was not prepared to fall in ;with, a • suggestion that the : £i per-.pnpil now. paid'to schools with rcBorves, returning, .£l7. and over should ba 'withdrawn,- , but-his'.desire was .rather to bring * the. weaker schools as. nearly aa possible up to the positiou of th« stronger schools. The capitation to the , larger schools would liot be., increased/but'the* increase would be given to schools. with .»■ net annual income of not riiorcthau i 8 per pupil from endowments. A niinilnuin salary'for teachers in .secondary schools was also provided. .' If the Bill did not give thein all that they required he hoped they would believo that he'was doing-tht> best he could with tho means at his •.,. ' . ' .-.-