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Hokitika Guardian, 28 October 1921, Page 2

Till-: annual report of the .Minister <>l Kd uca t ion presented to Parliament shows that the total payments fur the year were C 3.224.0-18, being an increase of {.'<18(1.(I-M over the figure for the previous year and being double the expenditure of live yogis ago. ft to tile expenditure hv the Department is added the income derived by secondary schools and university colleges from reserves, the total expenditure amounts to £3,1107,000 or .£2 13s 2d per head of the population, as compared with £2 3s hi in 1 ifl9-20. Included in the increase of 2080,000 is an increase of £201,000 in the expenditure on new buildings and sites for primary schools, technical -schools and university colleges, which may be regarded as capital expenditure, the inerenso in the cost of maintenance to the Department being £410,000. Of

the last-named sum, £318,000 repro- | sented the increased cost of primary . school teachers and training college | students’ salaries and allowances. The , expenditure on primary education of £2.400,000 equals Cl 19s 8d per head of population, and Cl2 7s 5d per pupil oil the roll The .expenditure on see- , un.lary education, which includes the j whole expenditure on High Schools and on the maintenance of Teehncial High Schools and the secondary Department of District High School amounted to £303.000 of which sum 033.000 was , met liv income from reserves belonging . to High School Hoards. The total j cost is £ 14,000 more than the amount for the previous year, lint it shows a very slight increase in the amount per head of tho roll number, wlaieh was in 1920-21 £l7 10s 3d. exclusing expeuditure out of reserves revenue, and j on new buildings and C 23 l.s Id, in- | eluding these items. Owing to epidemics ol a severe natuie. regularity of attendance was poor in 1920. The best results wore attainjed in Otago and Nelson. The matter |of shortening the primary school course so as to enable qualified pupils ' to enter upon an ntermediate secondary course at an earlier age, is now under investigation by the Department and it is hoped shortly to present a draft scheme for discussion by educational equipment that a child eouhl have before taking up its life’s work so that the provisions of the Education Amendment Act of 1920. making it compulsory for a child to attend some 1 school until the age of fifteon years, instead of fourteen, as at present, will when it comes into force, be beneficial in reducing the large number of insufficiently educated children. There are still some private* unregistered schools ill New Zealand at which tho children me not complying with the requirements of the Act. Their parents in

consequence, are liable to » penalty. 11l regard to the ‘‘School .fiktrnnl”, it is stated tlwit unfortunately the laws of copyright prevent a more liberal use of present day prose and poetay.