COST OF EDUCATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1922, Page 4

COST OF EDUCATION.

DOUHLED IX FOUR YEARS

(Conributed). In Ids speoidi sit Feilding ;i fortnight go, in which bo discussed vory abl.v ho finances of the Dominion, the I’nmo i linister stated that tbe cost of ‘’dui-n- • ion during tbe financial your ended on • if a rob 31st last bad increased b.v -120,410 compared with the expend!-•, nro during tbe preceding year. 11° 1 mind special cause for satisfaction j unvever, in tbe fact that during the ast quarter of the year the expendiure bad decreased by t 10.0. • ompared with the expenditure during list quarter of the preceding year, .but or bis decrease, which was at Hie rate ( d £101552 a year, the total niciea p voidi li’ave been £100,034. The snmaritv between tbe two sums suggests hero may have been items of expemliore which could have been lopped ell ■ onicwhat earlier: .... Rut the expenditure ol the EdueaLion Department has become so enormous in recent years that tlm lopping off of the whole £101.552 would have Represented a saving of only - •> rent. The total expenditure of the department grew from CI.OSO.i e " in 7 to £3 <>24.058 in 1021. an increase r cm r,ni 351 or over 90 per cent in four years. The chief i-mreases were n. Head Office expenditure from tb ■ ■ in £3B 40$: schools Ik Cl 000 n: to £2.252,531 : manual and technical colleges and training teachms STJS Sum C 11.792 to C7E409 a,ml industrial schools from £41.W0 to £, n unknown, of course, that a remsidcrahle part of these "hers to the higher salaries paid hi t ■ since 1917. and some part of them the normal increase in the number ol pupils; but the additional expenditure from these causes cannot amount at most to more than 40 per cent. w lo the in.-rcase to be aeeminted for is not less than 9G per cent. r, is impossible for the layman w'th«n access to the detailed accounts and without special knowledge of the rammto suv where and how economies ,m,l iie effected, but it already lias beon suggested that £30.000 or UO.OHO a vear could be saved by the ilw. ' * nance of the duplication and ia I jng in the work of the Rmirds and the Head Oflice i years there ha> been difl.emtv mm i - cement funds, uhicli. from alr.il Ulicr e™. I'":"" .counts and reports, seem to h.iu n habit of mounting nn without tlm u m c , „f the money rea.-hing its int.mdcd destination. Probably a very arge saving could; 1... el!Vcti'd l,y the lead <f a taking over the 1 whole work of iepi.n> ""•v'.'aiii. several of the Hoards have architect,teal stalls, eosting between them so far as can be made out. .rom tlm ae< mints. CIO.OOO or £11 .004 a year apart from travelling expenses. m J,done b.v these stalls could be nderlaken bv the Puhlic orbs part men 1 at a much i mal ar c ■ st „. . nahlv "it bet a-iv h-ss ol <h;.m,„.v. lln a recent vbit lo .'-ram, tlm Dir,., lor el "J l, v umu-Ij ii»7*lJ**r <’l * I,.Hidings in ill.. r..|iii.,o„wen!lli than v„w /.calami. The huddiuc- the,., were .ceorled O' cod no more loan ball the aau u'i, evn nd d upon Imi hi i *’' in Ihe lie.mm m. He.-' t most li-> room for vc-v extdi ive lUVIlie '• ~i Under t! -Wing nnn..»;-me.«t- ,, I, ~r ihc !’ a d- levs ma Icl i.a 1 mul ~,..1,1 i,. ibc exl'm! of some £3.> - f-> I; ' ~ -.car The I- It. of the ...... made 1-a" flail ’ a-hs--11'"i! at I'd ad ori ~v iu ' ' ■ 1 pet it bn. dha be„arlm.'!,l lets . ~|..,1 over tlm !'■.arils m thl- rc-eieel 1 it Ims >tat''d tin" 'h’U:--nds „f pomils -ecrl'i of I aria! is me :,„:iv ell Ilm boards piemi-as null . 1,, , |-, soacd m" Icing t nriii d to all\ ;;;.r,d m-enimt. The saving pus-Uda Imre canml lm ealeula 1 . d it ■" i" ■'* i is,, inrormatian. 1 id 0 might run nun anything between .£l:l.S9'l and £29The-., are milv a few i-.ai.iplc■ ta.ceii from tlm , f ileus in the !>■- lierllie.ill's am • nls nbi.h s.-em to eel j*,),* ( | ( >.,(. invr>ti <i * t tun It-' lit M.v i n I*»!»! * - ...1 cxiii'i Is. The Minister eannot give his personal attention to everv item, tier et ell to the eximlldU ure ever’ l.vrmli of his Department, hut Dm , of reluct,.ion lias Mem n sin I. an enrmums givvlli during the la-1 four nr five vars that a review id Iho position has heroine positively imperative. The count rv is now driven to the nimosl. ec om,my iii every department m is adniinistral ion. and it musl see that vhilf. maintaining the highest passlM'' standard of education, every item ol sit perilous expenditure is cut out. Tlie suhieet is not one the politicians like to to,ndi. Any member of I’ailjament who suggests a reduction m tlm education vote is suspected of wm 'ing !o lj» v sM<*rilctinus Imwls mi K ,r ' < pins’ liirili-ri-M. But «*xtr:iv:ij.csuk-‘‘ and wasteful methods nre not sOrvn It has been stated by responsible people v ith access to information which is n»l generallv available, that tboitsands pounds could he saved in the expend,, tore of the Kill,cation Department with ,„,1 immiiriiig its cllieieiicy in a single ! parti,ailar. In many cases, tliev mamj t: ',in greater cdlieiency would lie clitam-c-il hy the int rcicluc t ion of better systems and well ordered economy.