COST OF EDUCATION.

Evening Star, Issue 14933, 20 July 1912, Page 12

COST OF EDUCATION.

MR HOGBEN'S FIGURES. [SrECTAL TO THE STAR.] WELLINGTON July 19. Important proposals affecting increases to tho staff of primary and secondary schools were foreshadowed by Mr Hogben, tho Inspector-General of Schools, in his evidence. Subject to the Minister's approval, one assistant at £9O is to be placed this year in Grade 3 school, of which there aro 118, and one at £9O in Grade 6a, of which there aro 55. In 1913, one at £135 is to 1)0 given in Grade 7 school, of which there are 34; one at £9O in Grade 7a, of which there aro bi ; one at £9O in Grade 7b, of which there are 23; one at £9O in Grade Bb, of which there are £l4; and one at £9O in Grade C, of which there are eight. In 1914, one at £135 will be put in Grade 6a, two at £9O in Grade. 9a, two at £9O in Grade 9b, two at £9O in Grade 9c, and two at £9O in Grade 10. In 1915, one at £9O will bo given to Grade 6d, one at £9O in Grade 7a, two at £9O each in Grade 7b, one at £9O in Grade 8, one at £9O in Grade Ba, one at £9O in Grade Bb, and one at £9O in Grade Sc. In 1915, one at £9O in Grade Ba, one at £9O in Grade Bn, one at £9O in Grade Bc, two at £9O in Grade 9a, two at £9O in Grade 9b, three at £9O in Grade 9e, and two at £9O in Grade 10. Explaining the growth of tho Education Vote, "Mr Hogbon drew pointed attention to the fact that in 1898-99 primary education, including native schools, cost £389,000, but in 1910-11 it had mounted up to £633,000. Of this increase of £214,000 no less than £58,000 was due to increased attendance, £156.000 to the increased salary bill authorised by the colonial scale in 1902 Can increase of -10 per cent.), and £20,000 clue to tho improved staffing and to the increased number of small schools consequent on growth of settlement. In IS9B nine school buildings wore responsible for an outlay of £64,000, but it rose to £134,000 in 1910-11. This increase of £70,000 was clue to the provision for rebuilding schools, which was altogether insufficient before, and would have been increasingly so as the buildings in large numbers' became ripo for rebuilding. It was also due to the large increase of new schools, owing to increased settlement (i.e., the number of schools in 1893 was 1,6-16, against 2,096 in 1910). and further to tho increased cost of building materials in the interval. In 1898 allowances to school committees totalled £04,000, against £82,000 in 1910; while the conveyance of school children cost £3.000 in 1898, against £B,OOO in 1910. The absolutely new charges were: £19,000 for manual instruction in primary schools. £1,605 for free text books, £414 subsidies to free kindergartens, and £2,189 for producing {ho 'School Journal.' Noneof these items appeared in 1898. The gross increase in primary education during the 11 years was £360,000. In the secondary department, capitation for froo places cost £43,000, conveyance of free-place holders £3,000, building grants £IO,OOO, salaries _of teachers of secondary subjects in high schools £17,000. (None of these items appeared in 1893.) Higher education of Maoris in 1910 showed an increase of £I,OOO, and scholarships wero from £B,OOO to £12,000. Those increases wero chiefly clue to the founding of national scholarships. The actual number of pupils in secondary schools rose from £3.046 in 1898 to £7.753 in 1910. Technical education (not including manual instruction in primary and secondary schools) was responsible for £SO,OOO,' material for £2,000, railway fares for free places £40,000 (none of which appeared in 1898). _ Buildings and apparatus showed an increase of £13,000; capitation rose from £2,000 to £22,000, and subsidies from £2,000 to £5,000; but the number of pupils rose from 1,750 in 1898 to 16,055 in 1910. The total increase in this branch of education was £5,000 in 11 years. In higher education, specialisation grants amount to £B,OOO, 1 ilding grants to £20,000, scholarships and bursaries £4,000 (none of which appeared in 1910). Tho statutory grants increased by £2,000, rising from £12,000 to £14,000 in Tho actual number of scholars was 763, against 1,916 in 1910. There was a higher rate of average attendance per 10,000 of the population (18) than in any other part of the world, except Germany and Switzerland. In sole-teacher schools there were 22,418 pupils in average attendance, and the average cost per pupil was £3 17s 3d; but in 1910, with an average attendance of 22,793, tho figure rose to £7 9s 3d. Exclusive of cost of school conveyance and buildings, the average cost per pupil in 1910 was £6 3s 2d. The average, cost per pupil in native schools was £6 17s 9d per capita, but that sum included stationery, fuel, etc.

As to the complaint of poor salaries paid to teachers of secondary subjects in district high schools, Mr Hogbon thought that in schools with 12 to 20 pupils the salarv should be raised from £165 to £180; 21 to 30, £2lO to £210; 31 to 70, £2lO to £2-10; second assistants. 31 to 40, £l5O to £IBO._ He also proposes to reduce the special allowance to head teachers from £3O to £2O, and is not indisposed to consider the propriety of abolishing this special allowance. These additions will cost £772 in the first year, and will mean an additional charge of £1,250 on the present salary scale affecting secondary schools. Asked if he did not think the secondary department of district high schools should be abolished where the attendance was under 15 pupils, Mr liogben replied in the negative. Though the cost might run up to £2OO in salaries, ho did not think the cost was too much, though it was unquestionably high. But there were collateral reasons for continuing secondary teaching to even a dozen pupils, because it might bo more costly to establish a secondary department if more pupils presented themselves. Besides, there was a good chance of the best of these pupils offering themselves as probationers. This had proved to he tho case both at Arrowtown and Naseby.