REPRESENTATION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2846, 10 August 1916, Page 6

REPRESENTATION

♦- — ON WELLINGTON EDUCATION BOARD. _ As pointed out a few weeks ago by Mr A. W- Hogg and Sir Walter .Buchanan, the basis of representation on the new Wellington Education Hoard is not perhaps as finely adjusted as it might be. There are twelve members on the iiew board, and a return v^ir 11 • llew hoard showed that Wellington city, with four members on the board, has 23 schools, with an average attendance of 8758; and the Hutt-Petone district with two members, has only five schools, with an average attendance of 1917. Coming to the rural areas, the disparity is even more striking. Hutt-Horowhenua has two members to represent 37 schools with an average attendance of 2976! Tvhilst Wairarapa has only the same representation, though it boasts 101' schools, with an average attendance of 4887; and Marlborough also has two members, to represent its 99 schools (average attendance, 2339). In another return the grades (0 to 7) of the schools in • tile old' Wellington and Marlborough Education Districts are compared. The highest grade is VII (attendance, 501 to 850), of which Wellington has eight and Marlborough nil. There are four grade VI schools ill Wellington and one in Marlborough ; eleven grade V in AYellirigton, nil in Marlborough'; sixteen grade IV schools in Wellington, two in Marlborough; forty-six grade 111 schools in Wellington, thirteen in Marlborough ; thirtyseven grade II schools in Wellington, nine in Marlborough; forty-four grade I schools in AVellington, thirty-foiir in Marlborough; eight grade 0 schools in Wellington, thirty-nine in Marlborough. "From the above," says the report, "it appears that Wellington is a district with many large schools, and Marlborough one with many small schools.' Only sixteen of the ninety-nine schools in the Marlhorough district have a. staff of over ono teacher. Tho needs of the Marlborough district for secondary education are met by the Marlborough High School. In tho Wellington district there aro nine district high schools, the average attendance forIPIS being 312."