Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1896.

Manawatu Herald, 25 June 1896, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1896.

School Committees. * «~-^-. Whilst Parliamentis sitting it will not be out of place once more to bring the position of School Committees before the publio. We have ', not the information at our command so as to be able to test the allowance made by every Education Board to its committees, but we have had, for many years, the experience of the totally inadequate sums placed by the Board for this School District for the use of their committees. The unfortunate men who are annually placed by householders to fill this office rapidly gain a similar experience and find that the sums allotted are not sufficient to carry out the duties they are supposed to see to. In our local school, which is a fairly large one, the committee has been getting about £21 a year, out of which they have to find the proper cleaning of the school, out-offices, firewood, repairs to windows and buildings, fences, play ground, &c, not to mention frequent repairs to the necessary plant in the grounds, such as swings and horizontal bars. The position of the case can thus be guaged when we state that the cleaning alone comes to over £16 a year. Fuel for three fires every day during the winter makes a big hole into the balance. To cap all the other trials of the committee, when examination comes round some thirty shillings has to be expended on foolscap to enable the elaborate sums to be displayed with all the beauty of black and red ink. The position is decidedly unsatisfactory and if the subsidy is within the power of the Boards to allot the sooner it is amended the better, and if otherwise then the sooner Parliament fixes a sufficient amount the more satisfao tory it will be. The duty of every committeeman under the present conditions is to beg or borrow all he can for his school, if he is energetic, and if he is not so then the children have to go short of fire, or are deprived of prizes, or something or other which ought to be done is neglected. Owing to these conditions the position of committeeman is shirked instead of being sought as an honour and pleasure to fill.